Canada: the land of mounties, maple syrup, and strange individuals who insert videotapes into their bellies. Here is our highly subjective list of top ten Canadian films from acclaimed filmmakers Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Denys Arcand, Patricia Rozema and others.
1. Videodrome
David Cronenberg had to lead this list, and no movie before or since epitomizes his surreal, subversive work as the twisted horror of "Videodrome," starring James Woods and Deborah Harry. All of his other films are worth checking out, however, especially "Crash," "Dead Ringers," and "Naked Lunch."
2. The Sweet Hereafter
Sarah Polley plays the lone survivor of a school bus tragedy that takes the children of a town. Based on the book by Russell Banks, Atom Egoyan made a heart-wrenching film. Other films by Egoyan you shouldn't miss include "Exotica" and "The Adjuster."
3. Last Night
Cronenberg and Polley make an appearance in Don McKellar's surprisingly touching End-of-the-World drama "Last Night," which successfully combines millennial hysteria and intimate portraits of people who know the end is coming. Not to be missed.4. I've Heard the Mermaids Singing
Patricia Rozema's ("Mansfield Park," "When Night is Falling") 1987 film tells the quirky story of a day dreaming photographer who travels the streets of Toronto on her bicycle with her camera, snapping pictures as goes. When Polly is taken hired by a lesbian art gallery curator, the plot takes surprising turns.5. Tales from the Gimli Hospital
Guy Maddin's unique vision colors this surreal tale inspired by German expressionism.6. Mon Oncle Antoine
Claude Jutra's bittersweet 1971 masterpiece tells the story of a young boy's Christmas in a small French-Canadian town.7. Away From Her
Lionsgate Films
Sarah Polley did a remarkable job with her first feature film, [i]Away From Her[/i], an adaption of an Alice Munro short story about the love, marriage, and Alzheimer's disease. Polley has made a beautiful film, working with an astonishingly accomplished cast, including Gordon Pinset and Oscar-winning actresses Julie Christie and Olympia Dukakis.
8. The Five Senses
Molly Parker, Mary-Louise Parker, and Gabrielle Rose are among the characters who smell, see, hear, taste and touch each other in Jeremy Podeswa's quietly affecting interconnected tales.9. Kissed
Molly Parker plays a necrophiliac in Lynne Stopkewich's surprising first movie.10. The Decline of the American Empire
Denys Arcand won an Oscar for the sequel "The Babarian Invasions," but the talky original still stands as his best work. Also worth a look: his 1989 "Jesus of Montreal."