Starring: Ian D. Clark, Marcel Sabourin, Aubert Pallascio, Jason Cadieux, Danny Gilmore Directed By: John Greyson Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: Wolfe Video Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Academy Ratio Region Code: 1 Release Date: November 29, 1999 Running Time: 96 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1996
Product Description: Lilies is an emotionally intense suspense-laden tale of love betrayal and revenge between men. In 1952 a Catholic bishop makes an exceptional visit to a prison to hear a dying inmate's confession. Once inside the chapel the bishop is taken hostage by Simon a childhood friend. With the aid of his fellow inmates Simon's version of the events that took place forty years earlier are reenacted. The action moves seamlessly through time between the crude prison and the actual events of 1912. The drama culminates on the tragic night when both men's fates were decided.System Requirements:Running Time: 96 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:Â DRAMA Rating:Â R UPC:Â 754703761484 Manufacturer No:Â 5195D
beautiful, creative, and hypnotic This is one of those films you have to watch more than once to grasp it completely. The creativity of this movie is amazing and the acting is superb. The actors that play the young Simone and young Vallier give tremendously passionate performances that draw you into this love story told in a very unique way.
great movie This is a very passionate story between same sex lovers. It has all the drama and all the unthinkable pains of reality.
From the Confessional LILIES, based on a Canadian play 'Les feluettes' by Michel Marc Bouchard, has been adapted to the screen by Bouchard and placed in the sensitive hands of director John Greyson, an artist who is able to indulge in surrealism with reality and make it work well. This very beautiful film is cast entirely with men despite the fact that there are women roles in the story. How does he make that work successfully without pandering to artiness? View this little film and make the discovery for your self.
Set in Quebec in a prison, Bishop Bilodeau (Marcel Sabourin) has been summoned form the outside to hear the confession of 'a very sick man' who has been imprisoned for 40 years for a murder. Upon the Bishop's arrival the audience knows something is amiss: despite the atmosphere of the prison as a stage accompanied by choral singing of plainsong (The Hilliard Ensemble) there are props and images that seem out of place in a grim prison. The Bishop is ushered into the confessional booth and when he opens the window to hear confession, the person in the seat is Simon (Aubert Pallascio) the 'very sick' man who has planned for the bishop to watch a play depicting the 40 year old crime - a reverse on the confessional stance.
Through a small aperture in the bishop's now locked confessional, the Bishop is forced to watch a reenactment of the incident 40 years ago when two young boys, Simon (Jason Cadieux) and Vallier (Danny Gilmore) were in love and the young future Bishop (Matthew Ferguson) was jealous of Vallier's attention from Simon and played a key role in 'murder' of Vallier that resulted in Simon's being accused and imprisoned. The atmosphere leading up to this act includes the reaction from the small town's homophobia and to Simon's sexual ambiguity that involves a strange lady Lydie-Anne (Alexander Chapman) who arrives form Paris via an air balloon. It is the interaction of the boys with the townsfolk, the new lady arrival who desires Simon's affections, and Vallier's understanding and self-sacrificing mother Countess De Tilly (Brent Carver) that leads to the fateful death of Simon. How the story ends in the confessional booth reversal is the beauty of the film that must be left unsaid for the drama to affect potential audiences of this movie.
The cast is all male because the whole story is a mise-en-scene, a play within a play, where all parts are acted by the prisoners for the sake of displaying truth to the Bishop. There is no pretense at making the men look like women except for the costumes and this enhances the message of the story. The actors are excellent and the impact of the story is powerful. Yes, this is a highly honored gay-themed film, but it is really more about the power of love both in youths and in thwarted adults that makes it a film for all audiences. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06
One of the best gay-themed films ever made! This beautiful film is so lyrical, it's almost like watching a poem. Everything about this film works: the script, the directing, the cast, the look. This film gives new meaning to the gay feature film genre.
Based on a play, Lilies retains a stage feeling as the premise is a play-within-a-play. Whereas the audience is not required to use it's imagination as much while watching the film as it was when watching the play, the film does require an open mind and the ability to suspend disbelief. If you allow it, Lilies will take you on a very special ride as seldom films do or can.
The chemistry between Jason Cadieux (a much under-used young actor) and Danny Gilmore (mainly known from French-Canadian television) is remarkable, making their tragic love-story all the more moving. Special mention needs to be made to Tony Award-winner, Brent Carver, who's portrayal of the delusional Countess De Tilly is the stuff that Oscars should be made of.
A stunning piece of film-making, which should not be missed!
Worth watching this very good film if only for one magnificent scene "Lilies" is a very intriguing film full of wonderful performances. It is a re-enactment of a series of events by some Canadian prisoners, and though all of the actors are men, several play female roles in the "play within the film." It takes about 30 seconds or less before you actually believe they are women, even though they do little to change their appearance, because the acting is so good. But there is one scene, probably not even a minute long, that is utterly transcendent, and that sublime moment alone is worth owning this DVD.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
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