User Reviews

It is sad to see a film like this; that has had so much heart and soul so obviously put into it, but have it not really work in the end. I really wanted it to work, but it just didn't come through. The biggest problem was the script's tendency to rely on convenient (but highly improbable) circumstance...like characters just "happening" to run into each other at just the right time to force the plot to work. In the end, it just didn't all hang together. Some good performances still did not make it believable, but it was still enjoyable to watch.

I never heard of "The Bay of Love and Sorrows," an independent Canadian film from 2002, but I found the cover of the DVD and the title very intriguing. So I picked it up, and am glad I did, as this is a quality drama.

The story involves a group of mostly young adults on the desolate shores of New Brunswick in 1973. All of them are working-class except for the naïve-but-charismatic Michael. Michael just got back from India where he learned of communal living concepts. His ideas are embraced by the nigh-impoverished group, with the exception of Tom, a solemn young farmer, whose naïve fiancé takes a liking to Michael. The group foolishly shares these ideals with ex-con Everette, who naturally takes advantage of the situation, not just because he's an ex-con, but because he's older and recognizes the naiveté of the youths. Caught in the wheels of manipulation, paranoia and misunderstanding, the situation spins out of control.

Although the cast are no-names (which makes no difference to me), the acting is excellent throughout. One reviewer complained about how the characters are constantly smoking, but the film takes place in 1973 and this is a group of mostly destitute youths. With the exception of the hardened con-man Everette, they're not necessarily bad people, just lost and spiritually bereft.

The film leaves you with questions: Why does the winsome and well-to-do Michael hang with this destitute group from the other side of the tracks? Perhaps because his high pedigree makes him an instant celebrity, which attracts Carrie and provokes envious hostility in Tom.

The film was shot in Cocagne, Canada, on the lonely shores of New Brunswick, straight across from Prince Edward Island, although the story evidently takes place in Newcastle, near Miramichi Bay, about an hour's drive north. The landscapes are sometimes scenic, but mostly desolate and somehow haunting. Speaking of which, the low-key but haunting score is fitting.

If you appreciate realistic rural dramas like "Undertow" (2004), "Snow Angels" (2007), "Frozen River" (2008) and "Days of Heaven" (1978), films that depict the mundane reality of underprivileged youths in rural America and potential tragedy, be sure to put "The Bay of Love and Sorrow" on your viewing list. ("Frozen River" doesn't necessarily involve all youths, but it generally fits that description).

The film runs 94 minutes.

GRADE: B

Marketing a film can be just as important as making it – fail to publicize it properly, and people may not hear about it, or you might miss the demographic you're aiming for. The print ad for The Bay of Love and Sorrows features a dark-haired beauty staring out with a brooding look and an enigmatic half smile, yet gives no hint of what the film could be about. The ad is also peppered with several vague testimonials and, try as you might, you probably won't recognize the sources (they would do as well to quote the Sheboygan Bugle or Gnome Gazette). Luckily for the marketing department, they won't have to shoulder all the blame when this film fails to dazzle at the box office.

Based on the much-beloved book (or so I'm told) of the same name by David Adams Richards, The Bay of Love and Sorrows is set in 1970's New Brunswick, Newcastle to be precise. The story follows several young people who've been unable to improve on their lot in life post high school: there is the sexy and rugged Madonna, who, along with her sheepish brother Silver survives on menial jobs and a bit of poaching, conservative Tom who tries to make ends meet on his dirt farm while he watches his `special' brother Vincent, and Tom's innocent down home girl Carrie. The tempo of their boring lives change when Michael, the world travelling son of a judge (apparently only the rich kids have parents) comes back to town with tales of exotic locales. Enter the scheming ex-con Everette (who may as well have been named Iago) and chaos ensues.

It's hard not to root for an underdog – believe me when I say I tried. Unfortunately there simply isn't anything about this film that makes the viewer sit up and take notice- in a good way that is: the dialogue lacks spark, the pacing is positively glacial, the characters are poorly (if ever) developed and the acting is average at the best of times. The story itself is an ongoing game of one-upmanship, with each new plot element more far fetched and melodramatic that the last, culminating in the violent disorganized mess that is the final act. Save yourself some sorrow and find another film.

Tim Southam has managed to do something remarkable : make something captivating and watchable out of a very unpleasant book. Having read Richard`s book I was really expecting a very messy movie experience. Indeed I was only really interested in seeing the movie because I had once briefly met one of the actors in it - Elaine Cassidy - and have watched out for anything she has been in.

A lot of the grittier elements of the book have been left out - the mother isn`t a tramp , the landscape isn`t litter strewn , a semi-rape scene etc. - and the film is all the more powerfull for that. In concentrating on the bare bones of the narrative the story`s message comes across very effectively. Indeed a sort of fairy tale element is obvious . This is all helped by stunning photography .

In short this is a movie well worth seeing - preferably on a big screen . By the way , Elaine is as marvellous as ever.

Regrettably, this is the kind of film that taints the perception of other Canadian films as being "so-o Canadian". Dull, myopic and introspective. While some of the performances are strong -- Peter Outerbridge creates chills as a nasty ex-con and Jonathan Scarfe exhibits a competent and natural charm as Michael -- the actors are hamstrung with a lethargic script that starts slow and sputters to a standstill. The writers seem to believe that you create character complexity by reducing their IQs and having them smoke a lot of cigarettes... And I mean A LOT of cigarettes! To make matters worse, there's nary a likable character in the story. With the exception of Michael, they come across as dimwitted, backwoods losers, flawed and with no hope of redemption -- leaving us to wonder what draws the globe-trotting Michael to them in the first place. If the script wasn't slow enough, the lack of any significant score only serves to emphasize and elongate the tedium. I can't understand why the CBC and Telefilm continues to commit $$ to this type of drivel.

I saw this film at the AFF 2002 in Halifax. Having read DAR's book a couple of years ago and finding the book captivating, fascinating, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the film - particularly since Richards had a hand in it.

Not so detailed, intricate and convoluted as the print version of the story, the fidelity of the film to the print original is nonetheless very, very good. Strongly recommended is the reading of the book immediately prior to the viewing of the film: a friend saw the film without having read the book and although greatly enjoying the film, missed some of the subtleties of the film and all the story that wasn't told in the film.

Loved it, want it for my home DVD collection ...

The main reason that I am giving it a 9 out of 10 is because we never really know what happens to everybody else who survives. It would have been nice to know what happened to Tom and Vincent. I didn't know they were brothers until I read it here. The film opens with silver tongue blonde attractive man who flirts with the people from the wrong side of the tracks. We see another side of Canada, the New Brunswick province. I love Canada too! This film is well-orchestrated with Peter Outerbridge as evil Everett. Elaine Cassidy is great as Carrie. I didn't know the year until the end of the film. I knew it was about the early 1980s judging from their cars. Madonna and Silver's sibling relationship is complicated and only furthered by Silver's involvement in a tragedy which I won't mention. Anyway, a drug deal sinks off the coast of Prince Edward Island and gone are thousands of possible dollars that the gang otherwise would never get their hands on. There is a lot going on in this sleepy town. I have to say that it was worth buying. I don't get to see much of Canadian cinema in New Jersey that I picked it up at a drug store for a dollar. It is truly one of the better movies I have seen in years.

What a great movie. I just finished watching this after renting it at Hollywood Video. I couldn't wait to come on line and comment on it. The best part is the characters. They're so real. You get the sense that this could happen to you and start thinking what would I do in this situation? Plus the cinematography is great. I mean, there's all of these truly beautiful scenes on the Bay, and it's just great. The scenery and backgrounds are just sublime.

The story works well, too. A lot of films seem contrived with unbelievable events, but when you see these real characters and watch their lives unfold you really get the sense that this could happen. So if you haven't seen this film, I highly suggest that you do. In a word, it's WONDERFUL!

Canada exports a lot of talent to Hollywood because it's well known that we don't make many great films here, but this is one of the exceptions.

The Bay of Love and Sorrows is an incredibly finely crafted film that I had an extreme pleasure to watch. It's exactly the kind of quality drama that Canadian producers and film makers should make more of.

The characters are vividly portrayed by the actors, the cinematography is superb, the music is fitting, the locations set a perfect tone for the story and the story is incredibly engaging.

Cliché doesn't live here. This is the home of quality.

I've just seen this film on dvd I was pleasantly impressed,given low budget I assume the storyline was simple,acting good boosted by lovely scenery.you don't need cgi big names etc to make a good film,I will keep lookout for other films by this directorl.