FILM

THE LAST BETROTHAL (LES DERNIÈRES FIANÇAILLES)
Dir. Jean-Pierre Lefebvre
Cinak, 1973

There is virtually no dialogue in this quiet, slow-moving film; director Jean-Pierre Lefebvre allows the season and the rhythm of an elderly couple's life to set the tone. We call in on Rose (Marthe Nadeau) and Armand (J-Léo Gagnon) as they live out their last days on their small farm in rural Quebec. We learn their hobbies (Armand's clocks, which he chides if they don't keep the time) and quirks (Rose's insistence on washing the dishes between courses). We watch them as they plant seeds, feed the chickens, stroll in their orchard; we see Armand, in ill-health and near the end of his life, sneak a nip of booze in his workshop. We slowly learn their family tragedy (we all have one): their only child was killed during the war.

Made during a time of extreme upheaval in the early 70s (FLQ crisis, War Measures Act), this acutely personal film is a surprise. The elderly couple seem untouched by the turbulence, but there are hints — Armand's vitriol about fighting other people's wars and the idiocy of the English-language game shows, the only thing on TV. An unfortunate mawkish ending doesn't take away from the unsentimental portrayal of (old-fashioned as it sounds) enduring esteem and respect.

Mr Lefebvre is a grand Canadian filmmaker whose films have the understated humanity that French filmmaker âric Rohmer is justly famous for. Despite his many laurels (including the International Critics' Prize at Cannes for his excellent Wild Flowers) his films remain criminally under-distributed here in his native land.
— Gillian Woodford

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POP

Requiem for an Almost Lady
Lee Hazlewood
LHI, 1971
Reissued in 1999 by Smells Like Records

As one of the great behind-the-scenes men in pop history, Oklahoma bohemian Lee Hazlewood helped shape the careers of Duane Eddy, Gram Parson and most famously, Nancy Sinatra. His own discs have never garnered much attention, people always thought of him as a songwriter, businessman, pioneering rock 'n roll DJ and a hustler — all of which are quite true — but he's also a compelling performer.

Requiem for an Almost Lady is Mr Hazlewood's most fully-realized long-player. It's a concept album based on a nasty breakup (he told the Phoenix New Times that the 'almost lady' is an amalgam of old flames). Each track starts with a short spoken intro suffused with weariness and Okie wit (eg "There were times that being together was fun, there were times that being apart was even more fun. And there were times when there was nothing but time — and that was no fun"). The opener "I'm glad I never" is vitriolic, hilarious, catchy and clocking in at 1:04, quite blunt. In short, one of the all-time great songs of love-gone-wrong.

The sound of the album is spare, warm and folksy. Most of the tracks feature only Lee and rockabilly guitar legend, Al Casey. It's like Mr Hazlewood is confiding these tuneful tales to the listener over the span of several glasses of bourbon. This inimitable record was originally only available in Sweden and the UK and fell out of print for years. In 1999 the LP was finally given an international release.
— Abe Konigsberg

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BOOK

Emma
Jane Austen
Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1994

Even if you've already read this timeless classic, it's definitely worth revisiting the world of handsome, clever — and wealthy — Ms Emma Woodhouse. Like her other works, this Jane Austen novel focuses primarily on courtship and marriage. Given her inclination to write about these topics, it's strange that Ms Austen herself remained single her entire life. The willful Ms Woodhouse, Ms Austen's heroine in this novel, seems to come closer than any of her other leading ladies in 'suffering' the same fate as her creator. Emma, blessed with an independent spirit and financial stability, starts out with the stubborn desire to remain a spinster but eventually falls for Mr Knightley — her equal in both wit and intelligence.

Emma is saturated with Ms Austen's satiric depiction of English society and manners. Emma's father's obsession with health borders on neuroticism and adds a nice touch of humour throughout the story. Ms Austen's depiction of Mrs Elton — a condescending snob and avid gossip — is deliciously wicked. Anyone who's encountered a 'Mrs Elton' in their social circle will find this character particularly amusing. The book has been called a mystery story without a murder. It is an entertaining read and there are quite a few twists as Emma's attempts at matchmaking go horrible wrong. Interestingly, one of Ms Austen's admirers was HRH, The Prince Regent. Through the prince's librarian, she was invited to dedicate one of her works to the prince. Although she complied with the royal command in the dedication of Emma, she did so reluctantly. When Emma was published in 1815, Jane Austen was 39-years-old. She died a year-and-a-half later — it was the last novel to appear before her death.
— Carmel Mascrinhos

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