''Foodland'' is a 2010 Canadian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by Adam Smoluk.

Synopsis

The story follows Trevor, a naive grocery clerk, as his life spirals out of control when he inadvertently helps Ian, his inept manager, rob the store. When the money is lifted, they enlist the help of Glen Munn, a slimy, incompetent detective, to retrieve the stolen cash. But events soon go awry and Trevor must now determine friend from foe, and get the cash back before it’s too late.

Cast

*James Clayton as Trevor Wolnik *Ross McMillan as Ian Cullmore *

Kim Poirier Kim Jacinthe Poirier (born February 6, 1980) is a Canadian actress, singer, film producer, and television host. Biography Personal life Born in Drummondville, Quebec, the daughter of actress/model Carol Laquerre who was Miss Toronto in 1976, sh ...

as Lucy Eklund *Stephen Eric McIntyre as Glen Munn *Aaron Merke as Rick *Jason Malloy as Anthony *Nancy Drake as Lesley *Aaron Hughes as Cliff *Kate Yacula as Vicki *Alicia Johnston as Shelly * Peter Jordan as George Leap * Doreen Brownstone as Ian's Mother

Production

''Foodland'' is a 2010 Canadian film which was filmed in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

. The script was selected for the

National Screen Institute The National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI; originally Canadian Screen Institute, CSI) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The organization describes itself as "Serving content creators across Canada to te ...

of Canada's Features First Program. The film stars James Clayton, Ross McMillan and

. It had its premiere in Winnipeg on , 2010 and a limited run from , 2011. The film is actor Kim Poirier's first time singing on screen in a feature film. She sings a cover version of the classic song "

You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue ''The Honeymoon Express'' (1913), and used in the 197 ...

Release

Super Channel, Canada’s only national English pay television network, premiered ''Foodland'' in October 2011. The network profiled the film in the Super Channel Gems selections. Super Channel Gems are the place for viewers to find different and diverse discoveries "terrific hidden treasures that we’re sure you’re going to love". ''Foodland'' premiered on the IFC in March 2014.

Reception

Winnipeg's foremost alternative weekly ''

Uptown Uptown may refer to: Neighborhoods or regions in several cities United States * Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico * Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina * Uptown, area surrounding the University of Ci ...

'' Magazine compared ''Foodland'' to the films of the

Coen Brothers Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...

for the way its "twisty, often brilliant plotting... seems to want to set records for sheer number of turns: the plot fishtails continuously to the final scene". Beyond that, Uptown also said that "Splendidly written Winnipeg indie comedy Foodland highlights what a good screenplay can do for a film." An article in the ''

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...

'' highlighted the strong performances of the cast, "The particular triumph of Smoluk's film is that the performances are generally in sync with the Winnipeg milieu of the crime caper." A positive review by the CBC's Alison Gilmor wrote, "In this offbeat crime caper by young local filmmaker... Smoluk is working on a tight budget, but he gets quite a lot out of a little. His cast is crackerjack... and the flat, dead-of-winter Winnipeg setting is weirdly atmospheric."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Foodland 2010 films English-language Canadian films Canadian comedy films Films shot in Winnipeg 2010s English-language films 2010s Canadian films