I LIKE MOVIES is the fun debut of Canadian Chandler Levack, who is primarily a film critic. Her film is set in 2002 in a Toronto suburb. Chandler’s alter ego in the film is the short, chubby high school senior Laurence (Isaiah Lehtinen), a film nerd who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. Laurence applied to NYU so he could study film with Todd Solondz. He defends this, staunchly and angrily, as his only option in life. Nothing less will do, especially not studying film studies in Ottawa, for which he would receive a scholarship, while the NYU tuition costs $90,000, which his mother doesn't have, and Lawrence certainly doesn't. Laurence is a selfish ass and extremely mean to those who are close to him, which are two people, his best friend Matt and his single mom Terri. Then he gets a job at the local video store and gradually develops a relationship with the friendly manager Alana.

The film by a film critic and filmmaker about a teenage film fan touches on some sore spots for film critics. When Lawrence gives a car lecture on Paul Thomas Anderson's cinematography, or when he recommends Todd Solondz's hardcore depressing HAPPINESS to a couple looking for a nice weekend comedy, I felt called out. Finding a job where you can watch as many films as possible is an important part of life planning for some people. But the main point here is that the completely clueless Lawrence learns to connect with real life and with other people without offending them. Maybe it's actually enough if the right person at the right time tells you that you just have to ask people what they're interested in.

Tom Dorow (INDIEKINO MAGAZIN)

Translation: Elinor Lewy