Forum of independents competitiong review - LE DEP by Sonia Bonspille Boileau

It happened one night in a corner store. Thrills and emotions are aplenty in Le Dep, the feature directorial debut of Sonia Bonspille Boileau which was features in the forum of independents competition of the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

A girl named Lydia is preparing to close the shop owned by her father when she is suddenly robbed at gunpoint by a drug addict. The simple set up reveals more personal layers that unfold as the film progresses, and we, the viewers, become more and more aware of the bond that ties the two leading characters, who dominate its narrative. 

Le Dep marks the feature directorial debut of of Canadian filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau. The title means 'corner store' in French, which is where the whole film takes place. This Rope like Hitchcockian choice restricts the tension within the claustrophobic setting of the film - an audacious choice considering the amount of times where such excercise seemed stagey or could not help carrying an air of self-importance.

This is not the case in Le Dep which, despite the grave responsibilities it places on the shoulders of screenplay, acting and editing, retains credibility in all fields. In the first case, the film manages to balance the suspense with the more personal motives. In the second case, actors Eve Ringuette and Charles Buckell-Robertson , who dominate the on screen action, carry their roles with genuine intensity and great chemistry. In the third case, admittedly, there are occasional moments in which the film struggles to maintain a level of interest and reveals certain vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, for the most part it moves at gripping pace and the emotionally dense finale proves to be greatly rewarding. 

A key central theme is its representation of the Innui community of Canada, of which the characters are members. It is quite rare to see representation of aboriginal communities in films nowadays, nevertheless essential to the cultural development of arthouse cinema. This is perhaps the most rewarding element of Le Dep, as it manages to examine themes of marginalisation and certain social plagues particularly relevant to the Innu community without seeming preaching or allowing them to completely take over, instead making them an integral part of the film.