ESCAPE TO CANADA (Canada, 2005) Directed by Albert Nerenberg
September 30, 9:30 p.m., Uptown October 1, midnight, Globe

Escape to Canada, a stylish documentary about 21st century
U.S.-Canada relations, is weakened considerably by its shallow, "Joe
Canadian" treatment. The film's thesis - that since 2001 the
so-called "boring" nation of Canada has out-cooled its mighty
neighbour - relies on the assumption that pot-smoking and gay
marriage, both of which are more or less legal in Canada are the
defining factors of cool. Uh, I guess. It doesn't help matters that
Escape to Canada could have been named Escape to Toronto without
losing more than about 15 minutes of footage.

The film is most interesting when it dips into Canada's history as a
haven of freedom for U.S. military refugees, and the recent
reawakening of this role during the Iraq war. Unfortunately, this
topic is addressed primarily to highlight Canada's peaceful,
welcoming nature - which is, you know, really cool and un-American.

Escape to Canada is visually, if not intellectually, engaging,
interspersing interviews, newsreels, rallies and Michael Moore-style
montages with aerial footage of Canadian scenery and groovy satellite
zoom shots. However, its material is so limited that it would work
better as a much shorter op-ed news item.