‘Who by Fire’ Review: Resentments Ignite on Vacation in Philippe Lesage’s Enthralling New Movie
KimStim
There is something perversely pleasurable about the longtime cinematic tradition of holidays gone awry: cherished reprieves from the status quo that sometimes end up just as disappointing as everyday life— codified by French New Wave director Eric Rohmer with films like La Collectionneuse. Through an admittedly cynical lens, such explorations can provide a certain satisfaction, blows from reality from which even well-planned recesses are not secure. The "vacation gone wrong" as a filmic refrain continues to seep into the contemporary, strikingly so through Who by Fire (Comme le feu). The latest work from Quebecois writer/director Philippe Lesage, Who by Fire utilizes the framework of a bad vacation to astutely deliver a coming-of-age tale that is both highly refined and refreshed in its approach to a tried and true concept.
The movie begins with a lengthy journey into the isolated evergreen forests of Northern Quebec, far away from the creature comforts and stimulation of urban life. Jeff (Noah Parker), an aspiring filmmaker on the cusp of adulthood, has been invited by his best friend Max (Antoine Marchand-Gagnon) to tag along on his summer vacation. Their destination is a remote cabin owned by Blake (Arieh Worthalter), a well-known filmmaker and close friend of Max's father. Also accompanying is Max's older sister, Aliocha (Aurelia Arandi-Longpre), whom Jeff is secretly enamored by.
Heading into their stay with the intent to relax in nature and enjoy one another's company over boozy dinners by the fire, the trip soon shifts as longstanding resentments bubble to the surface, unable to disguise themselves under the pretense of a tranquil vacation. The audience learns that Max's father, Albert (Paul Ahmarani), penned the screenplays of Blake's early career, which has transitioned into documentary cinema since the days of their collaborations. A strained tension reignites between the two, quickly pervading every corner of the wood cabin. Jeff also begins to unhinge, caught between his clumsy adolescent feelings for Aliocha and the push/pull between bitterness and idolization of Blake as the type of filmmaker he hopes to be someday. As the vacation comes apart at the seams, each central character in Lesage's hyper-focused screenplay must confront their own sensations of isolation and reconciliation.
KimStim
Lesage's sharp direction and self-penned screenplay for Who by Fire make for a film that is not so much a slow burn but instead one that smolders and scorches from the jump. In a foreword reminiscent of The Shining, the movie begins with a two-minute tracking shot, following the car that carries the main characters deeper into the wilderness of Quebec and closer to their vacation destination, accompanied by an ominous electronic score composed by Cédric Dind-Lavoie. This striking introduction automatically communicates a certain uncanniness, a malaise that signals the ill-fated holiday to come. The director further experiments with subverting audience expectations through the movie's slight nods to genre filmmaking, most strongly the coming-of-age saga through Jeff's centralized perspective, but also with hints at thriller/horror genres that fit so seamlessly into Who by Fire's secluded location and confined characters. Despite these connections to the genre, the movie never forfeits the hushed refinement of its structure.
The precision of Who by Fire's narrative approach is reinforced by the deliberation of the movie's crafting. Collaborating with cinematographer Balthazar Lab, Lesage's tactic favors long, drawn out scenes –with the camera panning to avoid cutting away from the action– that allows the dramatics at play to build with an unanticipated force that serves as the movie's most fascinating feature. These long shots are best showcased through several unsettling dinner scenes that work as impressive set pieces in which the audience can best understand the insecurities and conflicts of the characters and their storied interactions with one another.
As with much of Lesage's filmography, Who by Fire makes the tribulations of youth a central element of its thematic composition. Jeff's character represents a soul caught between childhood and adulthood, perplexed about how to trudge forward into life as the latter. Jeff is haunted by the social awkwardness of adolescence that further fortifies his directionlessness, crippled by his unrequited love from Aliocha and reticent in his awe for Blake and his career. In an intriguing portrayal of young male friendship, there is a lack of connection between Jeff and Max –– the person who invited him after all –– that concretizes Jeff’s loneliness on the trip as he flounders to relate with those around him.
Aliocha's character is a substantial contrast to Jeff’s, but she, too, is faced with her own struggles on vacation. A literature student at Bard College, Aliocha has entered adulthood with a firmer understanding of her purpose, in control of the energy she puts into life and those around her. Arguably the character with the strongest semblance of self, Aliocha is compelled to navigate the wandering eyes of the men on the trip and their varying perceptions of her. Her level-headedness also leaves her to wrangle the increasingly uncomfortable behavior of her father, who is not the best at handling his wine at the dinner table, to say the least.
Kimstim
The male ego and its fragility are another engaging fixation of Who By Fire, explored with much depth by the film's screenplay. While Jeff and Max fight with their own adolescent insecurities, the movie’s adult characters are the main focal point for Lesage's investigations of masculinity, speaking to a generational facet to understand the men's behavior. As soon as Albert, his flock, and Jeff meet up with Blake to be flown to the cabin in the woods, there is an uneasy passive aggressiveness between the two grown men that works as a precursor to their interactions to come: "You're two hours late."
While they say that time heals all wounds, the three years that have passed since Blake and Albert's last meeting disavow such phrases. As Blake has moved into new filmmaking territory through his documentary work, Albert has been relegated to a gig writing for an animated series called Rock Lobster. Despite Albert's overemphasis on the quality of his new project, he is betrayed by anguish and envy toward Blake's career that he is incapable of concealing, especially once the wine starts flowing. In an interaction with Jeff (who tries to play both sides), Albert speaks with a certain delusion about his host and close friend: "He's had it in for me since we arrived." Blake also turns the knife in his own spiteful ways, embodying the stereotypical toxic male artist of older generations defined by selfishness and egotism, showcased through the recognition he subtly fishes for among his holiday company. Through the aggrieved actions of these two men, they are transformed in the eyes of the younger folk on the trip from fathers and heroes to petty and damaged individuals.
Thoroughly rejecting any sense of ostentation, Who by Fire will undoubtedly draw in arthouse audiences through its intricate direction and storytelling. Lesage's latest marks another cinematic treasure in the "bad vacation" sub-genre, investigating thematic elements of youth, masculine insecurity, and isolation with impressive handling that proves the director's standing as one of Canada's most exceptional contemporary filmmakers.
4/5
2024 | 155 min| Color | French with English subtitles
‘Who by Fire’ had its world premiere at the 2024 Berlinale, where it won the Grand Prix in the festival's Generation 14plus section. KimStim will handle the movie's U.S. theatrical release, which begins on Friday, March 14. Click here to find showtimes near you.