Olivier Godin's Oublie pas le gruau finds freedom and magic in absurdity

Olivier Godin's eighth feature, Oublie pas le gruau, arrives in theatres this weekend as an unlikely counterpoint to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. While the British director's epic adaptation of Homer dominates media attention, Godin's handcrafted film — financed by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec — quietly insists that a filmmaker's vision cannot be measured by budget.

The film is partly a gentle mockery of an industry that has long kept Godin at arm's length. Through absurd dialogue and character moments, he pokes fun at the grandiose tone media outlets use when discussing cinema, even parodying the way Denis Villeneuve's work is typically covered. Yet Oublie pas le gruau is not a film about cinema — it's harder to pin down than that.

At its core, the story concerns a man called le Barbare (Jean-Marc Dalpé), convinced he has only five erections left before death. Desperate to spend his remaining moments with Marie (Kayo Yasuhara), an orthopédagogue struggling with alcohol, he navigates a cast of eccentric characters: a thrift-store colleague working on a mysterious screenplay, plus le Météore (Eric Jacobus) and le Docteur Comète (Dennis Ruel), two martial-arts fighters who duel once yearly in explosive confrontations.

Those familiar with Godin's earlier work will recognize his distinctive voice — the peculiar dialogue rhythms, the precise direction of actors, the meticulous mise-en-scène. Cinematographer Renaud Després-Larose deploys warm colours and shimmering light that suit both intimate confessions in cramped spaces and the magical-realist tone of a fairy tale. The film's atmosphere owes much to the actors' disarming sincerity. The romance between le Barbare and Marie resonates precisely because it avoids psychological dissection; instead, it unfolds through small gestures, lingering glances, and quiet attentions.

Godin's obsessions resurface here — his meditation on the gap between written language and spoken words, on how we tell stories. As a devoted fan of martial-arts cinema, he indulged himself by inviting American stunt performers Eric Jacobus and Dennis Ruel to Montreal. The film is dedicated to Ruel, who died shortly after filming wrapped. Their bar-fight scene on rue Rachel is unforgettable.

Many regard Oublie pas le gruau as among Godin's most fully realized works, perhaps because he granted himself such freedom. Without compromise, he pushes his taste for the absurd further than ever, never bothering to justify his narrative digressions — whether it's an improbable jig or an old cereal bowl occasionally doused with black beer to please Marie. His pleasure becomes contagious. Choose the magic tale over the blockbuster spectacle.