The French-Canadian comedy 'Starbuck', though at times faltering to age-old conventions and slow pacing, is undeniably a feel-good movie with no lack of charm or geniality.
When the audience first meets David Wozniak (Patrick Huard), a 42-year-old man living in Montreal, we witness his uncanny capacity to screw up just about everything in his life: his simple job as a delivery driver for his father's butcher shop, his relationship with his long- time girlfriend (Julie Le Breton), and most of all his personal finances. Amidst all of these troubles, David is further informed that, due to his constant presence at a fertility clinic during his 20's, he is now an unsuspecting father to several children. 533, to be exact. And now as 142 of his children file a class-action suit in the hope that he will shed his anonymity, David must decide how best to approach his unexpected role in these young people's lives.
Director and writer Ken Scott constructs the plot from a premise that is as ridiculous as it is promisingly original. When this is combined with the affable charm that leading man Patrick Huard exudes so effortlessly, the movie works itself into a sweet-spot that comedies rarely land on (indeed, not many comedies aim for it to start with): while the scenarios are far-fetched and distant enough to elicit laughter from the audience, the human connection is nevertheless always present, as we tirelessly root for the lovable slacker David Wozniak in whatever quirky situation he finds himself in. This attribute is most apparent in the middle section of the film, as we see David's various encounters with several of his newfound children in what may be arguably the most enjoyable sequence in the movie.
However, as the plot attempts to work itself towards some coherent resolution later on, the movie becomes slower and borrows heavily and predictably from formula at times. Despite this the movie does not at any point relinquish the viewer's interest. If you are not particularly averse to a hearty dose of sentimentality, and if you are up for a good laugh, then 'Starbuck' should be at the top of your list.
When the audience first meets David Wozniak (Patrick Huard), a 42-year-old man living in Montreal, we witness his uncanny capacity to screw up just about everything in his life: his simple job as a delivery driver for his father's butcher shop, his relationship with his long- time girlfriend (Julie Le Breton), and most of all his personal finances. Amidst all of these troubles, David is further informed that, due to his constant presence at a fertility clinic during his 20's, he is now an unsuspecting father to several children. 533, to be exact. And now as 142 of his children file a class-action suit in the hope that he will shed his anonymity, David must decide how best to approach his unexpected role in these young people's lives.
Director and writer Ken Scott constructs the plot from a premise that is as ridiculous as it is promisingly original. When this is combined with the affable charm that leading man Patrick Huard exudes so effortlessly, the movie works itself into a sweet-spot that comedies rarely land on (indeed, not many comedies aim for it to start with): while the scenarios are far-fetched and distant enough to elicit laughter from the audience, the human connection is nevertheless always present, as we tirelessly root for the lovable slacker David Wozniak in whatever quirky situation he finds himself in. This attribute is most apparent in the middle section of the film, as we see David's various encounters with several of his newfound children in what may be arguably the most enjoyable sequence in the movie.
However, as the plot attempts to work itself towards some coherent resolution later on, the movie becomes slower and borrows heavily and predictably from formula at times. Despite this the movie does not at any point relinquish the viewer's interest. If you are not particularly averse to a hearty dose of sentimentality, and if you are up for a good laugh, then 'Starbuck' should be at the top of your list.