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Review // My Internship In Canada

[projekktor id=’21397′]
Philippe Falardeau (The Good Lie, Monsieur Lazhar) returns to the big screen with a distinctly Canadian story. Set in rural Quebec, My Internship in Canada, cleverly explores the Canadian democratic process through the eyes of a foreigner in awe of how politics muddles democracy.
The well written comedy brings together an all-star cast. Patrick Huard (Starbuck, Mommy) stars as MP Steve Guibord, a former hockey player turned independent politician who lands the deciding vote when the Prime Minster asks Parliament to vote on whether Canada should enter a foreign war. Newcomer Irdens Exantus plays Steve’s naïve Haitian intern, Souverain (what a perfect name), who is determined to see the democratic process through and convinces Steve to consult his constituents before casting his vote. Suzanne Clément (Mommy, Laurence Anyways) co-stars as Steve’s wife, who despite being pro-war supports her husband’s choice to poll their community. Their daughter Lune (Clémence Dufresne-Deslières) passionately disagrees with her mother and helps bring the national debate into their household.
The film layers many topics – local vs national needs, generational divide, job creation, relationships between all levels of government and partisan politics – and yet grounds the story with Steve and Souverain as they navigate Steve’s large electoral district. Without taking too much of a political stance, we get to see the extremists from both sides made fun of and exploited. The humour really comes from this insane idea that a single MP might actually make an impact and have a voice in a system that usually doesn’t allow for either.
My Internship in Canada is a sigh of relief following one of Canada’s biggest elections (both in voter turnout and campaign length) and reminds viewers that even if the whole process is daunting, we can’t just sit back and let politics get in the way of democracy. Plus, if all else fails, at least we can enjoy a good laugh at the futility of it all.
Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.