One Week

(2008)
On any given Saturday when I dont have a new Netflix disc to watch, I am invariably faced with the same dilemma root through my library of a few hundred movies and re-watch something (thereby saving myself the necessity of yet another new review) or, the more attractive option, try to find something new another way (most conveniently on Netflixs streaming service). As Ive said before, Netflix streaming is predominantly a vast dumping ground of old and/or worthless crap that very few sober non-insomniacs have any interest in viewing, and the good stuff that is there is usually only so on a temporary basis, so youd better see it while you can (Ive had stuff yanked from my saved list, and had to go seek out the disc, or do without). And yet almost every week I return to the vast trough of largely unwatchable offerings simply because one can do so half-reclined on the couch with a push of a button or two. And occasionally, though I justly malign the general quality of the films offered, you find one that defies the odds and is actually very good. Such is the case with One Week, which I picked out of the vast morass of choices for three reasons: it was new, it was Canadian, and it starred Joshua Jackson, better known to the world as Pacey Witter on Dawsons Creek (or that dude on Fringe, if youre hipper than I am); like most people I tend to gravitate toward a familiar face when choosing a new movie (well, a familiar face I associate with quality) and the only other indie movie I had seen with Jackson was the terrific Lone Star State of Mind, which I ended up buying. One Week tells the story of Ben Tyler, a young man who finds out he has aggressive stage four cancer (How many stages are there? Ben asks the doctor. Four, is the reply) and is given a death sentence; its uncertain how long he has to live, but not very, and even with treatment the recovery rate is only 10%. This obviously greatly alters the way Ben looks at the world, and so he decides to take a road trip across Canada, one last fling to enjoy the world before he submits to the battery of tests and treatments, or in his words, before I become a permanent patient. Naturally this does not go down well with his fiance (LianeBalaban), who urges him to come home in every long-distance conversation they have. Ben is determined to see his journey westward to its conclusion (he starts in Toronto), the Pacific, and resists the call of home until he does so. One Week relies heavily on the indie staple of the road movie, of the simple belief that traveling will change your life and yet it often can, which is why this particular plotline keeps popping up. This is mostly a character piece, as you would guess, and Jackson has to carry the entire movie himself, often for stretches at a time with little or no interaction with anyone else. And yet each small encounter he does have from a woman who fixes his motorcycle to a hiker he meets in the woods to a man who just happens to be sleeping next door at the motel all are carefully crafted and refreshingly natural. Ben of course finds some sort of wisdom in living in the moment (he can hardly live for the future), but the movie takes great pains not to be that indie movie, even at times poking fun at indie

convention in the narration (Ben at times seems to be telling the story of the film and providing you with additional information, as if he has finished the trip and is retelling it to you. This works better than expected and is explained brilliantly in a nice twist at the end). The narration not done by Jackson is warm, funny, and speaks in Bens voice. Its obvious someone put a lot of thought and effort into the tone of this film. Jackson is just excellent here; hes his usual likeable screen persona (which I think is most of the reason hes a star he projects that instant likability), imbuing Ben with a humanity we cannot help but respond to. Hes not too smart, not too funny basically, hes just right, and he anchors the film brilliantly. All of the supporting cast are excellent as well Daladans role is not one we are drawn to, but she fulfills it expertly but really, this is Jacksons movie and he shines. I was deeply impressed by and very much enjoyed this film; this in my mind is what all indie films strive to be, but so few are a look inside another persons soul that is entertaining, engaging, and manages to teach us something about our own all at once. Im not sure whether Jackson simply has impeccable taste in movie scripts (or a sharp-eyed agent), but this may be the best film he ever makes, and it certainly deserves more recognition than its gotten. This is a terrific film, excellently done from start to finish, and well worth tracking down. This one really is a gem. April 13, 2011