Wilby Wonderful

This isn't exactly a review, it's just a recommendation for a little 2004 Canadian dramedy that features Sandra Oh ("Sideways"), Paul Gross ("Slings & Arrows") and Ellen Page ("Juno"). I got the DVD from the Seattle library, but I've ordered my own copy for my personal library. It does, after all, have closed captions.

This is small-town Canadian stuff, understated and very deliberately paced, but as we move around among the various townspeople, a story begins to take shape. Oh is an ambitious Realtor, married to laid-back Gross, who is a local cop. Page is the rebellious daughter of the town slut.

I'm SUCH a fan of Paul Gross, but there is another guy, Callum Keith Rennie, that I'm gonna keep an eye out for in the future. Yum! He's done a lot of movies and TV, and will be in the new American series, "The Firm" that starts this season. It features Josh Lucas in the lead. I might take a peek and see if I can spot Mr. Rennie.

IMDb says: A day-in-the-life dark comedy concerning a group of islanders, their respective secrets, and one man's plan to kill himself quietly.

This is NOT one of those condescending flicks where the sophisticated filmmaker snickers at the poor unenlightened rubes in his film. The small- town people here have the same issues as the big-city folks and it's great to see their own unique way of dealing with them. Just thought you might like to know.