The Trotsky
| The Trotsky | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jacob Tierney |
| Produced by | Kevin Tierney |
| Written by | Jacob Tierney |
| Starring |
Jay Baruchel Emily Hampshire Colm Feore Saul Rubinek Michael Murphy |
| Music by | Malajube |
| Cinematography | Guy Dufaux |
| Edited by | Arthur Tarnowski |
Production company |
Park Ex Pictures |
| Distributed by | Alliance Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | C$6.4 million |
The Trotsky is a 2009 Canadian comedy film directed by Jacob Tierney.
Plot
Montreal West high school student Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel) believes that he is the reborn incarnation of communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Shortly after he starts to work in his family's clothing factory, he attempts to unionize the workplace with such actions as a hunger strike. He is pulled from his upper-class private school by his father (Saul Rubinek) and sent to the public school system. There, he continues his quest to live out Trotsky's activism, as he is pitted against the strong-willed principal Mr. Berkhoff (Colm Feore). Meanwhile, he seeks romance with older McGill University graduate student Alexandra (Emily Hampshire).[1][2]
Cast
- Jay Baruchel as Leon Bronstein
- Domini Blythe as Mrs. Davis
- Geneviève Bujold as Denise Archambault
- Anne-Marie Cadieux as Anne Bronstein
- Jesse Camacho as Skip
- Colm Feore as Principal Berkhoff
- Emily Hampshire as Alexandra Leith
- David Julian Hirsh as Eli Bronstein
- Kaniehtiio Horn as Caroline (as Tiio Horn)
- Michael Murphy as Frank McGovern
- Jessica Paré as Laura
- Tommie-Amber Pirie as Sarah Bronstein
- Saul Rubinek as David Bronstein
As part of the plot, Ben Mulroney plays himself, the host of etalk, interviewing "Leon Bronstein".
Production
Shooting for the film began in Montreal on 27 August 2008 at Lakeside Academy.[3]
Release
The film was first previewed at the Toronto International Film Festival 11 September 2009.[1] In the United States, it was screened at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.[4] Its general Canadian release was on 14 May 2010.[5]
Reception
The Trotsky received mostly favorable reviews from critics. The Toronto Star gave The Trotsky a positive review, particularly of the cast.[2] Another positive review from Montreal's The Gazette noted the "inspired, often-dangerously-funny screenplay" of the "too-talented" Tierney, likening the film to Ferris Bueller's Day Off.[6]
Web review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes assessed the film at 82% on its Tomatometer with an average rating of 7/10, based on 11 reviews.[7]
References
- 1 2 "The Trotsky". Toronto International Film Festival. September 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- 1 2 Barnard, Linda (13 May 2010). "The Trotsky: Revolution for the teenaged masses". The Star. Toronto. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ↑ Kelly, Brendan (26 August 2008). "The Tierney revolution is coming!". Montreal: The Gazette. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ↑ "The Trotsky makes U.S. debut at Tribeca". CBC News. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ↑ Farquharson, Vanessa (11 May 2010). "The Trotsky's Jay Baruchel: On moviemaking, microphones and mom tattoos". National Post. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ↑ Kelly, Brendan (14 May 2010). "Review: The Trotsky". Archived from the original on 17 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ↑ "The Trotsky (2010)". Retrieved 23 July 2010.