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Chloe and Theo
Canada / USA 2015
produced by Monica Ord, Richard Branson (executive), John Paul DeJoria (executive), Lawrence Winokur (executive), Russell Long (executive), Laura Rister (executive), Cassian Elwes (executive), Melissa Jackson (executive), John Novak (executive) for Arctica Films
directed by Ezna Sands
starring Theo Ikummaq, Dakota Johnson, Ashley Springer, André De Shields, Mira Sorvino, Jessica Anderson, Peter Henry Arnatsiaq, Christopher Backus, Lawrence Ballard, Brandon Boyd, DwVaughn Browne, Michelle Campbell, Quincy Chad, Lori Tan Chinn, Domenico Gelonese, Samuel Apak Immaroitok, Tim Intravia, Eugene Ipkarnak, Melissa Jackson, Ruthie Kaminskas, Larry King, Chris Erric Maddox, Haas Manning, Adrian Martinez, Jonathon Mason, Elizabeth Masucci, Patrick McCarthy, Michael Morana, Jean Victor Nkolo, John Novak, Eric Oram, Herve Paniaq, Natalino Piugattuk, Tracy Reiner, Anthony Quarles (= Grim Reaper Q.), Dion Sapp, Parker Snow, Kevin Witt, Nicole Zeoli, with narration by Michael Stiles
written by Ezna Sands, music by The Newton Brothers
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
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Inside the Arctic Circle, a tribe of Inuit witness the ice melting more
than it ought to, so they send one of theirs, Theo (Theo Ikummaq) down
South to talk to the South's "elders" to make them help stop
this development. Why Theo? Because he's the only one who speaks at least
some English. So Theo, who has never been anywhere South, heads for New
York - but his initial search for the elders only leads him to an old
people's home, and it's not long before a couple of thugs take him for an
easy-to-rob tourist. And they almost succeed, too, but are stopped in the
nick of time by homeless Bruce Lee aficionado Chloe (Dakota Johnson), who
somehow has taken an innocent liking in Theo and takes him under her wing
- and in return, Theo lets her and her friends Tyler (Ashley Springer) and
"king of the streets" Mr. Sweet (André De Shields) stay at his
tiny apartment - also because he doesn't need all that space anyways. The
three soon take an interest in Theo's mission, too, and ultimately figure
they have to get him in front of the UN assembly to state his case. Thing
is, as lofty as the UN's goals might be, they don't let just anyone talk
to the assembly, and when our heroes try to storm the building just for
Theo to deliver his message, they all end up arrested instead. But they
have attracted the attention of one UN employee, Monica (Mira Sorvino), a
disillusioned former surgeon whose fire has been refanned by Theo. So she
gets Theo all the necessary sponsors, and gets him a spot before the
assembly to state his case after all. Everything sounds to great in fact
that tragedy just has to be round the corner ... Now
whoever can't see this movie's positive message or flat out denies the
film's underlying theme, climate change, is either a lier or a fool - but
that said, movies that rely too strongly on their message, however
important that message, aren't necessarily good movies, at least not from
a narrative point of view. And overgeneralizing here, it gets even worse
when these films are "based on a true story", which Chloe and
Theo is (in fact, it's a highly fictionalized version of the lead Theo
Ikummaq's adventures). And all that said, Chloe and Theo seems to
be totally aware of this and chooses an approach that's not preachy but
highly entertaining, going not for high drama here but packing things into
a fish-out-of-water comedy (actually not unlike - to stay true to the
movie's many Bruce Lee allusions here - Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon)
- and the film works quite so well because it's actually really funny,
shows heart where it ought to, and keeps its preaching to a bare minimum.
And a solid cast and subtle direction also go a long way to make this a
fun film wrapped around a serious matter.
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