Year of the Carnivore – An eOne Films’ Release

http://www.yearofthecarnivore.com/

DVD Release Date: September 7th, 2010

Rated 18A for sexual content and coarse language

Running time: 88 minutes

Sook-Yin Lee (dir.)

Sook-Yin Lee (writer)

Sook-Yin Lee (music)

Cristin Milioti as Sammy Smalls

Mark Rendall as Eugene Zaslavsky

Ali Liebert as Sylvia

Eugene Lipinski as Lloyd Zaslavsky

Our reviews below:

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Year of the Carnivore DVD Review By John C.

**1/2 (out of 4)

In Sook-Yin Lee’s Canadian-made Year of the Carnivore, Sammy Smalls (Cristin Milioti) needs to learn about sex.  Her dream relationship with busker Eugene (Mark Rendall) falls through for the sole reason that she can’t stop giggling, so she sets out to learn the ins and outs of human sexuality.  Her journey leads her to some borderline creepy places, but the film is kept watchable by a certain amount of naivety.

Despite the obnoxious miscasting of Sheila McCarthy and Kevin McDonald as Sammy’s parents, the actors are all good enough to keep the material grounded.  Year of the Carnivore is an odd and uneven little film, but it is an interesting effort that boasts a promising feature debut for writer-director Sook-Yin Lee and lead actress Cistin Milioti.  It won’t be for everybody, but it’s worth a look on DVD.

The DVD includes a behind the scenes featurette, as well as some bonus short films by Sook Yin Lee.

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Year of the Carnivore DVD Review By Erin V.

**1/4 (Out of 4)

In Year of the Carnivore – a film by Sook-Yin Lee – Cristin Milioti plays Sammy, who works at a local store as anti-theft security.  She likes a local busker (Mark Rendall) who plays outside the store and wants to be with him.  They get ‘together,’ but she can’t stop giggling, which leads to the suggestion that they both see other people to get better at …sex.

I was thankfully surprised that this was a lot less raunchy than it could have been, although it is still an 18A.  It certainly is a strange little film, although it did have some nicer scenes that I liked, such as with her elderly Japanese neighbour.

If you are interested in the work of any of the people involved with this film, and don’t mind the content, it’s worth checking out.  A minor complaint – the animated look of the DVD cover is a confusing style choice for the film.

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Year of the Carnivore DVD Review By Nicole

**1/2 (out of 4)

Year of the Carnivore is a quirky independent film by Sook-Yin Lee.  Sammy (Cristn Milioti) is a naive young woman who works as a security guard in a small grocery store.  She is infatuated with Eugene (Mark Rendall), a young busker who sings Russain folk tunes every day outside the store.  Sammy wants to get closer to Eugene, but as a thin cancer survivor with a limp, she doesn’t feel comfortable with how her body is.  She is completely naive when it comes to intimacy, so she “practices” with various people, even bribing male shoplifters with a “get lucky instead of jail” deal.

Eugene too, has problems.  His single dad taught him that falling in love will only break his heart.  So Eugene avoids romance by distracting himself with his band’s groupies.  Over time, as both Sammy and Eugene start to accept what life has given them, they stop cavorting around and can truly fall in love.

Year of the Carnivore deals with the very mature subject of sexuality.  However, I never found this film to glorify the sexual promiscuity or experimentation instead depicting these acts as signs of a broken spirit.  The subdued, sombre colour palate and handheld camera shots add to the gritty feel of the film.

The acting is decent, and the characters likable, despite their issues.  I especially liked Sammy’s elderly friend, who tells Sammy to “dress like a lady.”  In a funny and touching scene, they overcome their fears during a swim in an outdoor pool.

Year of the Carnivore is a unique Canadian film that is worth checking out.

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Year of the Carnivore DVD Review By Maureen

**1/2 (out of 4)

Sook-Yin lee’s Year of the Carnivore takes the subjects of emerging sexuality and body image issues and creates a surprisingly charming but quirky Canadian romantic-comedy-drama.

The story revolves around Sammy (Cristin Milioti) a shy, food store detective who is uncomfortable with her body and her sexuality.  She is too thin and limps, the after effect of childhood cancer treatments.  Sammy has a major crush on a local busker street musician, Eugene (Mark Rendall).  When the two awkwardly try to go all the way Eugene open-mindedly suggests Sammy get some experience before they try again.

With encouragment from her elderly Japanese friend, Sammy goes out to find experience wherever she can get it.  Unfortunately Sammy tries to mix work with pleasure.  The results are oddly funny though in the real world would be considered creepy and illegal.

Year of the Carnivore works mainly because of the charming and quirky performance by Cristin Milioti.  She makes Sammy an oddly likable and believable character.  Mark Rendall is also good as the imperfect but likable Eugene.  The movie comes to a nice conclusion where love trumps casual sex.

Adults interested in Sook-Yin Lee’s work will want to check out Year of the Carnivore.

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Year of the Carnivore DVD Review By Tony

** (out of 4)

As Year of the Carnivore begins, 20-year-old Sammy Smalls (Cristin Milioti) gets out of bed and looks out her apartment window at her neighbour on his balcony with his hand in his boxer shorts. Sammy lives apart from her two annoying parents (Kevin McDonald & Sheila McCarthy), and works as a supermarket detective under various amusing disguises. She likes the busker Eugene (Mark Rendall), but having been left very thin with a slight limp after surviving childhood cancer, and very ticklish when touched, she has body image problems.  An attempt to hook up with Eugene leaves her giggling, so he suggests she come back when she has more experience.  The elderly shut-in woman (Linda Uyrehara Hoffman) she visits agrees, helping her dress more like a lady, but not before Sammy gets into some risky encounters–at the club where Eugene’s band plays, as a surrogate between the boxers neighbour and his wife, and with some shoplifters (as a kinder alternative to her boss’s vigilante beatings and mug shots). As the Russian immigrant son of a widowed father, Eugene has issues of his own to work out.

Though competently directed by Sook-Yin Lee with two attractive if quirky leads, Year of the Carnivore was for me more disturbing than enlightened in its random sexuality.  However at just under 90 minutes and nudity limited to fleeting “two backs” images it was at least watchable.

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Consensus: Year of the Carnivore boasts a promising feature debut for writer-director Sook-Yin Lee and lead actress Cristin Milioti.  This is an odd and uneven little film that won’t be for everybody, but it is worth a look on DVD. **1/2 (Out of 4)