Category: Arts

Pet projects are often all-or-nothing films, personal visions which translate from grey matter to silver screen either perfectly or disastrously. Passchendaele, which was written, directed and co-produced by Canadian Due South star Paul Gross, manages to circumvent this phenomenon as something of a mixed bag, but sadly it falls more into the latter category than the former.

The paradox of W. is that it comes four years too late to prevent a Bush re-election and at least that many years too early for a complete summation and judgment of the man as a historical figure. Thus, even conveniently positioned just before an election that will decide whether or not to continue on the Bush path (and McCain does make a teeny tiny appearance), the film is trapped in the limbo of the present tense, telling the story of the man who still holds the office of president of the United States of America, its hands tied by a supposed anti-partisan resolve.

To local writers, the bi-annual Ottawa Small Press Book fair is an important staple in the literary community. To everyone else in the city – well, you’d be hard pressed to find people who have even heard of it.