Blackbird
Starring Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast
Directed by Jason Buxton
One look at Sean (Connor Jessup) an island of studded leather in a sea of letterman jackets and you know that acceptance wont come easy in his rural Ontario high school. The teenager recognizes this too, keenly aware that society is carving out a pigeon hole to slot him into. Little does he realize that it will take the very concrete form of a cell in a juvenile detention centre.
When Sean is arrested for plotting a school shooting spree, the evidence seems flimsy: a graphic power fantasy hes foolishly posted online and video hes shot of one of his dads hunting rifles.
However, thanks to his communitys paranoia and prejudices, he finds himself trapped in a seemingly open-and-shut case and locked away with legitimately dangerous young offenders.
Just as its protagonist bristles at labels hes a goth, his unlikely love interest (Alexia Fast) a puck bunny Jason Buxtons first feature defies ready categorization, proving to be a prison drama, social critique, and character study in equal measure.
Originally envisioned as a documentary, it remains rich in details concerning detention centres procedures and power structures.
That said, these segments are sometimes undermined by Buxtons habit of underscoring his intentions. We neednt see Sean reading Kafkas The trial to recognize the absurdity of his circumstances.
Where Blackbird excels is in its thoughtful depiction of the transformative effects these ordeals have.
Jessup skillfully conveys how Sean must quickly hone his survival instincts while gradually realizing that he must offer others the compassion he himself was denied.
Meanwhile, Buxton asserts that a principled life is something worth fighting for.
Curtis Woloschuk
