User reviews

Let me just say the storyline or plot for this movie was phenomenal Kudos to the writers it was a calm and steady pace not slow or boring so I was entertained through out the film, But it never climaxed or hit a high enough level to get my juices going and that's a tragedy to waste such a great storyline & sequence. The actors performed well and the dialogue was sufficient it just wasn't enough. Too many scenes had the actors staring each other down, At times it felt like pulling teeth. They don't speak when they should and they get loose lips when their mouth should be sealed tight. To me that killed alot of the realism the directors or creators were aiming for. This film also had many layers that it never peeled back confining this psychological drama to being a one trick pony. The ending played out and it wasn't the worst ending by any means it was at least understandable but what it didnt do was entertain. That's a no no. I waited the whole movie they give us only one flashback and then just talk minimally to each other and stare back and forth instead of talking while a life hangs in the balance.

All in all I wouldn't recommend this movie to go out of your way to watch because it left so many points on the board by not maximizing the potential of each scene. I would say this film is a little better then average but it's definitely near the top tier independently. This films gets an OK rating.

Take me to your darkest room. Close every window and lock the door. This is kitchen zink realism. Wow! A film that actually tell you a story with the help of dialogue and images. Who does not want to dazzle you with artistry. Or trying to hide that the story is made up along the way. In "Cardinals" we are offered a story with substance. Plus a cast and a crew who knows how to communicate this and more to us, the audience. I am so grateful. This is the play Sam Shepard never got around to write. "It's also the best film that Atom Egoyan never made." (Andrew Parker TIFF)

Valerie Walker (Sheila McCarthy) is released from prison after a drunk driving incident sent her away. Her daughters, Eleanor (Katie Boland) and Zoe (Grace Glowicki), bring her home. Her dead victim's son Mark Loekner (Noah Reid) asks her questions about the incident, but the answer is unconvincing. The incident is more complicated than the explanation in court.

There is one big mystery and that's about it. The audience is left waiting and waiting for the slow reveal for an hour. The reveal is way too slow. By the time that everything is laid out on the table, the movie is almost two thirds over. They need to reverse the distribution and reveal much much sooner.

Ok, I get it's a low budget movie. Acting was fair. The story line above average. However the movie was extremely slow. It never had an exciting moment. The ending was poor. Without spoiling anything, what you are led to believe happened at the end would not have happened by actual law. Can think of a much better ending but I think the person deserved what happened and they just wrote it in the story line. Only watch this if you are extremely bored.

Dont bother watching this. It is slow & boring & you never really get to find out what happened. The ending is very unsatisfying.

This is an exceptional piece of film work. A very tight, very smart screenplay and an excellent cast make for a terse, intense, complex movie.Sheila McCarthy really is so much of the film's strength. The title role called for a strong, seasoned actor, and McCarthy shows she was more than up to the task. So much is expressed by her without a word; which can also be said of the other expressive actors. Don't pay any attention to the 'Short Attention Span Theater' types calling this film 'slow', 'boring', or how nothing happens. They need to stick to Vin Diesel, Adam Sandler, and rom-coms. The movie's only 84 min. How can it be too slow if it's not even an hour and a half? I'm guessing several were too confused by it much of the way through and were pissed that they couldn't figure out what was up before it was fully revealed. Don't blame the film for being smarter than you.

Movie is slow, interesting, and predictable. Leaves you guessing what happened without a confession or review of what actually happened.

Saw this at TIFF. Wasn't expecting a lot so was very pleasantly surprised. This is a deliberate (some might say slow) and well drawn psychological thriller. We start with a scene that makes little sense and then fast-forward a number of years. There is clearly a mystery here surrounding a crime that was committed some years earlier by the starring character. However, as the movie begins to unfold and the pieces fall into place, the mystery slowly takes shape. As the viewer, we are anxious to see the next piece of the puzzle reveal itself but the movie takes its time and this only adds to the suspense. All the lead characters contribute effectively to the tension which builds throughout. Peter Spence, in a secondary role as the parole officer adds some much-needed humour to the scenes in which he appears. The combination of his facial expressions and dialogue elicited much laughter in the theater on the day that I watched the film (I didn't think that beef and black bean sauce could be such an amusing expression). And if you like swans, you will be very happy with a scene about two-thirds of the way into the film. The ending is written so as not to hit the viewer over the head and leaves perhaps a number of questions which my wife and I discussed as we walked out of the theater into the bright daylight of the fading summer. A real little gem!

.the movie wasnt too bad but it was a struggle to stay engaged. You do feel like if you look away you will miss the thing that explains it all, but like so many indie films, it just ends. The writer ( or whoever was in charge of the film ) couldnt come up with anymore story and said " thats a wrap".the movie wasnt too bad but it was a struggle to stay engaged. You do feel like if you look away you will the movie wasnt too bad but it was a struggle to stay engaged. You do feel like if you look away you will miss the thing that explains it all, but like so many indie films, it just ends. The writer ( or whoever was in charge of the film ) couldnt come up with anymore story and said " thats a wrap".miss the thing that explains it all, but like so many indie films, it just ends. The writer ( or whoever was in charge of the film ) couldnt come up with anymore story and said " thats a wrap". Oh well.

I've never seen a film marketed as a thriller that was this dreadfully slow. The pacing of this film is way off. There are long, drawn out sequences in which people stare into space and silence, usually in sparsely decorated rooms. I suppose they assumed these shots were upping the suspense but really they only serve to prolong what is a lacklustre film.

The acting is passable, but everything else is dull as dishwater: the script, the characters, the set. Canadians are known to be boring and inoffensive, and, well, this film confirms it. Suburban Canada in the winter is pretty much the last place that a movie should be filmed.

It's almost comical how bad the artistic choices are within this film that I almost question if it was done on purpose. The only redeeming quality I can see is Grace Glowicki who's mannerisms are quite odd and strangely bemusing, but adds some charm to the overall roster of plain characters.

Don't let the low ratings fool you. This is a great debut for Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley; with very smart direction. Aided by well paced, atmospheric beats, and outstanding performances. This is not your typical character study on a family torn apart by a mistake nor is it your typical picture that follows one woman's redemption arc as she grapples with a mistake that cost her everything. This original script builds tension in the most uncomfortable way and boils over during the final 10 minutes of the film. Some will find the ending unsatisfying, hence the low ratings, but for those who can appreciate the unconventional approach to this story, you'll find it just as satisfying as the first and second act.

Sad, dark, expressive.... acting with expression was well done, characters spot on, this film held my attention easily, made me think, I really enjoyed its quality....

Cardinals takes us down the road of a family that has dealt with tragedy and now must deal with the next stage of reconciliation if possible. The release of the mother from prison. The pain of the son of the victim. Family secrets and how to deal with emotions and stress yet stay within societies structure and rules without losing yourself. So no exploding car crashes, mobs running through the streets or ray guns. Wonderfully Directed, Acted and Produced with focus on the story. Thanks for allowing the audience the time to adjust to real life on film which is so incredibly rare in films/movies. So put your adult pants on and see a very good film.