I keep waiting for the day that Canadian films will find their voice. Seeing the wonderful David Thewlis in the lead role of Guest of Honour, I hoped for something terrific. I wasn't disappointed there. Thewlis is note-perfect as a mysterious and tortured man...a food inspector in Hamilton, Ontario of all things.
I could watch Thewlis read the phone book, but when all is said and done, a compelling personality (and genuinely excellent cinematography), don't make for the lack of a coherent narrative. I still don't know exactly who did what to whom and why. The supporting cast is so-so.
I could inhale the atmosphere and personality of this film...I just couldn't find the story.
12 Reviews
RABBIT EARS
js-661307 July 2020
Used to be rabbit ears pulled in tv channels, now they are a coveted culinary delicacy. If nothing else, one always learns something from an Atom Egoyan film.
Consistently fine thespian David Thewlis as a complicated health inspector, carries "Guest of Honour" with the calm assurance, refined decorum, and meticulous deduction of Sherlock Holmes. Yet it is he who is the mystery. And as wonderful a performance it is (he really does carry the movie), the convoluted and twisty plot proves too benign and lacking, to do justice to foreshadowed expectations.
A forgettable and perplexing storyline involving his jailed daughter is awkwardly distracting at best, and out and out messy at worst. Slipping in a comedic Wilson brother (Luke) as a serious priest is admirable, but alas, serves to sabotage the dramatic flow.
Too bad, as the movie does indeed look great, and Thewlis is excellent, a commanding screen presence, delivering a perfectly nuanced role lacking a worthy supporting cast, and more importantly, a superior written vehicle.
Consistently fine thespian David Thewlis as a complicated health inspector, carries "Guest of Honour" with the calm assurance, refined decorum, and meticulous deduction of Sherlock Holmes. Yet it is he who is the mystery. And as wonderful a performance it is (he really does carry the movie), the convoluted and twisty plot proves too benign and lacking, to do justice to foreshadowed expectations.
A forgettable and perplexing storyline involving his jailed daughter is awkwardly distracting at best, and out and out messy at worst. Slipping in a comedic Wilson brother (Luke) as a serious priest is admirable, but alas, serves to sabotage the dramatic flow.
Too bad, as the movie does indeed look great, and Thewlis is excellent, a commanding screen presence, delivering a perfectly nuanced role lacking a worthy supporting cast, and more importantly, a superior written vehicle.
- hipCRANK
father and daughter
SnoopyStyle21 February 2021
Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira) tells stories of her deceased father Jim (David Thewlis) with Father Greg (Luke Wilson) who is planning his funeral. Jim was a health inspector who exercised his fearsome powers on small restaurant operators. Veronica is a music teacher leading her students on a performance tour. Student Clive and bus driver Mike both take a liking to her but she rebuffs them both.
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan delivers his usual interior personality story. I am willing to buy that this is a troubled father daughter pairing but I'm not sure if I buy this sort of crazy. I don't know why the kids would not tell the truth to the police. Even if Clive is willing to lie, I don't see why his friend would. Like Clive says, he is forced to attend some annoying sessions. I would tell the truth just to avoid that. As for Thewlis, this is an interesting performance. I am much more interested in his work than the complicated story of self-destruction. The disjointed flashback structure is not clear enough and it doesn't have enough space to give the story room to explain itself. The music performance road trip is clear enough but the story with Walter needs work. I may even just cut out Walter all together to clarify the plot. All in all, there is some interesting material with some troublesome issues.
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan delivers his usual interior personality story. I am willing to buy that this is a troubled father daughter pairing but I'm not sure if I buy this sort of crazy. I don't know why the kids would not tell the truth to the police. Even if Clive is willing to lie, I don't see why his friend would. Like Clive says, he is forced to attend some annoying sessions. I would tell the truth just to avoid that. As for Thewlis, this is an interesting performance. I am much more interested in his work than the complicated story of self-destruction. The disjointed flashback structure is not clear enough and it doesn't have enough space to give the story room to explain itself. The music performance road trip is clear enough but the story with Walter needs work. I may even just cut out Walter all together to clarify the plot. All in all, there is some interesting material with some troublesome issues.
What has happened to Egoyan!
innisfree-572109 October 2019
Bitterly disappointing. Up until Felicia's Journey Egoyan was at the very top of his craft. Dense, intelligent storytelling, with considerable technical mastery, prefect mis-en-scene. Until that movie, he seemed perfectly willing and able to move towards the mainstream with skill. With the partial exception of Adoration, it's been downhill since. Guest of Honour is poorly executed, appallingly written, shows no skill whatsoever. Indeed, the one or two nice shots seem accidental. One big problem is his use of actors. Back in the early days he used actors who seemed to give his admittedly clunky dialogue a sense of gravitas - Gabrielle Rose, David Hemblen, Elias Koteas, Maury Chakin (sp?)....the new batch, Luke Wilson, Colin Firth, Ryan Reynolds, a succession of attractive but poor female actresses, simply don't cut it......the sublime brilliance and control of The Adjuster, Calendar and Exotica, the beauty of The Sweet Hereafter.....it's all gone now
Repeating
Irena_Spa2 March 2020
The usual melodrama by Egoyan. He wanted to show something new, but he didn't. Some of the segments have already been seen before in his work. Also, there are disadvantages in his story as it is that the main character, Jim, had never visited the church, said by his daughter, and at the end there is a notice said by the priest that he was in, even it was maybe once, at one funeral. However, obviously it's present some kind of struggle in author's mind about bus drivers. I love that old "The Sweet Hereafter", but in it everything is so clear and in here, no. Not bad, but there are a few disadvantages which make this movie to be not arranged properly.
David Thewlis
wisewebwoman20 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
David steals the entire movie. A tour de force of brilliant acting. You believe this tormented man.
But there basically is no story, nothing seems to hang together to give the film any coherence.
Did his daughter allow his lover to burn to death? What happened to her son?
Luke Wilson is odd in an uncharacteristic serious role, when normally he's a bit of a light joke.
A shame. I hated feeling so dissatisfied. But Thewlis in a master class of his own.
Would love to see more of him and less of Atom's films - what has happened to him? 5/10 all for David.
But there basically is no story, nothing seems to hang together to give the film any coherence.
Did his daughter allow his lover to burn to death? What happened to her son?
Luke Wilson is odd in an uncharacteristic serious role, when normally he's a bit of a light joke.
A shame. I hated feeling so dissatisfied. But Thewlis in a master class of his own.
Would love to see more of him and less of Atom's films - what has happened to him? 5/10 all for David.
Powerful and intriguing
tatlayoung19 July 2020
I found this film riveting. Fantastic yet understated performances by all. Laysla De Oliveira is perfect for her role - absolutely stunning and fully believable. Atom Egoyan is a master storyteller. It was a very personal journey for me watching this film - I understand that some may find it boring or tedious if they somehow are unable to relate to the characters. I certainly could relate to them, though. I am sorry to see so many low ratings for this film - I think it deserves much better, and I think there are many people who would benefit from watching it.
Worth Watching!
karmenzargarian29 November 2020
What a fantastic lead performance!
deborahpearson8 October 2019
All of the acting was superb but if the Academy Awards actually paid attention to independent films, David Thewlis would get a nomination. I knew he was a good actor but this performance is really outstanding. Also a very clever and surprising film all round. One of Egoyan's best.
Not very engaging
Gordon-119 August 2020
A goodpiece.
ReadingFilm6 June 2022
When Thewlis is on, he's on siphens the entire world into his feelings. He is a true great. He manages to evoke so much. In this way it is an odd cousin to Naked, or a kind of encore. It does not reach those heights--how could it--but there is an unusual power when he worked with an auteur, that has an analytic intensity in common with his Leigh film. He is the reason the film is good. Any time it cuts away, I lose interest. Egoyan, as a fan of his great 90s works, I think digital cinematography takes the mystery and intensity out, and they could have found a whole other angle to plot this. But that 90s work was SO good, I will give Egoyan a pass wherever he goes. Also his wife never ages. She is his lucky charm because she just takes his worlds into another universe every single time.
Brilliant!!
byakushisakura16 January 2021
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