This dystopic film starring Canadian actress Sandra Oh poses a plausible future for human society that will stick with the watcher
By John Vo
The surge of dystopian movies based on popular young adult films in the 2010s was a special moment in time, to say the least. With The Maze Runner, Divergent and most recently the Uglies series all getting films, the world became obsessed with the idea of how humanity would lead to its impending doom. Was the end of the world 2012 theory or the hyperfixation with these fandoms on Tumblr causation for this phenomenon? No one can truly say.
People have retrospectively pointed out how dystopian media has gained notoriety for some of its meandering tropes: technology being the root of all evil, the evil lady or man who’s dressed in business attire the whole time or a love triangle in the middle of actual war. However, dystopian fiction has always worked to reflect the current times and how creatives see what the future may hold. That is most certainly the case for Canadian filmmaker Ann Marie-Fleming’s latest film ‘Can I Get A Witness?’. Aptly named after a Marvin Gaye song that only makes sense if you watch the film.
It’s a post-apocalyptic world not too far from the 2020s. A scene at the beginning showing embering trees immerses viewers that this world has faced hardships our world is seeing too. After a raging environmental disaster that is not fully explained, the world rebuilt itself with strict restrictions in place to avoid wiping out humanity. Firstly, all electronics are banned for daily use which is quickly apparent in the film by how the characters have resorted to going about daily tasks like cooking, cleaning and looking for entertainment. Memories like digital photography and online Wikipedias are now inaccessible and bikes are the main method of transportation. Seems tame enough.
The more stark rule is that by the time a person reaches 50, they must participate in a ritualistic suicide. This is not something the film just jumps the gun with, the dialogue ensures that this is only alluded to in brief instances until a third of the way through the runtime. This requirement is something the small community of the film accepts voluntarily to differing levels. In order to account for all these deaths, teenagers work to document their deaths as a way for the world to understand the purpose behind this newfound practice.
At the core of the film is Kiera Jang who plays Kiah, a young girl working her first day as one of the people documenting these deaths. New to the process, she works as the audience surrogate and asks the necessary questions for exposition. It’s not a very complex and captivating role but Jang makes the character’s actions and reactions believable. Her companion for the day is Daniel (Joel Oulette), another teen who’s been working in this field for a while. Charismatic and kind to Kiah, his philosophy around the practice is already formed and something he views as necessary to keep the world spinning. However, his optimistic viewpoint is questioned by Jang’s character and it’s only learning his backstory of why he’s so dedicated to preserving mankind. The two characters have a great back-and-forth chemistry and the acting is very naturalistic.
This film may have caught your attention initially because of Canadian actress and icon Sandra Oh’s involvement. Billed as an executive producer for the picture, she also stars as Kiah’s mother, a formidable woman who knew the world before and after the environmental disaster. A loving mother to her daughter, the two share some emotionally moving moments for a reason the film reveals in a shocking way. Oh has been lauded for her powerhouse acting abilities and it is no different here. Her performance elevates the film and alone carries the few scenes she’s given.
Even with these three strong performances, the script ultimately leaves a ton to be desired. The preamble at the beginning of the review about dystopian cliches doesn’t necessarily apply to this film thankfully. The idea of dystopia is less science fiction and more in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale or Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. Science fiction that could realistically happen or “speculative fiction”. Climate change has long been discussed in different mediums and the film successfully manages to create a sense of dread as the event unfolds. Any allusion to the past will make viewers reminiscent of a forest fire or carbon emission incident they’ve seen in the news.
However, the film needs to hammer in so much exposition and backstory for the characters that the promising premise feels undercooked. The film does not delve into the intersection of already-present ageism or ableism in our world and whether this ritual suicide only exacerbates that oppression or puts everyone on “the same playing field.” Lots of interesting ideas about grief, sacrifice and community building are briefly touched on but not in a manner that hasn’t been dealt with in fiction before.
However, the production elements of the film aid to distinguish itself from other dystopian films. Notably, Fleming employed these animated elements whenever possible, tying them to the protagonist’s ability to draw the world. This weaving of animation with live-action is subtle and beautifully captures the still beauty in a world formerly torn to shreds. The nature shots and crisp sounds of nature also make the world feel lively — something necessary for a film set 99 per cent in the outdoors. The cinematography, though it gets the job done and shows the emotions and objects needed, is not very diverse and shots can often feel like they’re running their course. Not that the film needs some Edgar Wright techniques but some variety is needed in a medium like film.
Although the film leaves a ton to be desired in its delivery of complex themes, the beautiful animation and captivating performances sustain the film to the end. The film leaves watchers with the lingering question of whether or not this future and choice is ultimately harrowing or an altruistic necessity. Like the characters in the film, they can come to that conclusion the way audiences can too.
‘Can I Get A Witness’, with a runtime of 110 minutes, has not been given an official release date yet.
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