Guitar Lessons is an independent film centred around a 15-yr-old Metis boy (Kaden Noskiye) who inherits an old guitar from a dead dad he never knew. Intent on learning to play, he reaches out to a cantankerous oilfield contractor Ray Mitchell (Corb Lund). Shot in the High Level and Peace Region.
The film shines most with it’s humor notably from that of the Ernie, played by Conway Kootenay, as he steals the scenes in the early movie before the character gets a bit more serious. The cast as a whole shines as the characters come across as real and not just characters in a movie, you could imagine running into them on the street. The writing of scenes like the one in the bank are great because of how real those are. The best scene in my personal opinion and was much talked about during the post screening Q&A was one near the end of the film in the teepee between Ernie and Bruiser, for it’s serious nature and advice given when it comes to addiction. The character of Bruiser as well as that the actor himself (learnt in the post screening Q&A) are recovering alcoholics lends so much more authenticity to the scene, though the advice given was not what first time actor and local William Auger did to get clean (4 years sober).
In terms of things I didn’t like about Guitar Lessons was mainly how the characters were introduced with very little explanation or for the events taking place. For example the character Denise is seen crying by herself in bar, while it cuts back and fourth between that and Ray shopping for clothes. The crying is explained later, but with very little knowledge or backstory for character how was I or others supposed to connect with a scene that kind of painted the image of Ray standing her up when that was never the case. The other example is Ernie going to Bruiser for guidance when all we know about Bruiser is that he owns/runs a pawn shop and is an alleged bootlegger, we learn why but yet seems like an odd thing at the moment. This might be because as I found out during the Q&A it was originally designed to be a series that instead became a movie.
All and all Guitar Lessons is a great independent movie, though only currently available in select Alberta towns, so I am lucky Peace River was one of them. It was great to see Corb Lund succeed in the film as I have enjoyed his music, and musicians turn as actors don’t always work. The writing, casting and acting are the stand outs for the movie that hopes to see a sequel or become a series that the writer/director Aaron James Sorensen has stated he hopes for the independent film. The film is hoping to grow as without a distributor it could be hard to show others this great piece of Canadian cinema.
I give Guitar Lessons: 8/10
Check out the trailer below:
-Everett
