“Oh, Canada” (2024)

Drama

Running Time: 95 minutes

Written & Directed by: Paul Schrader

Starring: Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi, Uma Thurman, Victoria Hill, Michael Imperioli, Penelope Mitchell and Kristine Froseth

Cornel: “All creation starts with a single cell of energy that explodes with a bang and becomes the universe. Cancer starts the same way. A single rogue cell breeds a tumor that metastasizes and sets to eating the body… and eventually devours it.”

The film follows Leonard Fife (Richard Gere), a celebrated documentary filmmaker living in Montreal who is dying of cancer and agrees to a filmed interview by his former students. As the interview proceeds, Leonard reveals that much of the heroic public narrative about his life (including fleeing to Canada to avoid the Vietnam-era draft) is built on lies, half-truths, abandoned relationships and moral failures.

The film moves between multiple timelines: present-day Leonard (Gere), his younger self (Jacob Elordi) in flashbacks, and other moments of memory and myth.

Thematically, it’s about myth‐making, regret, mortality, self-examination and the uncomfortable contrast between public persona and private failure. Schrader apparently drew on his own feelings of illness and legacy in making this film.

• The cast is solid: Gere delivers a quietly powerful performance, Elordi handles the younger self with credible intensity.
• The concept of a filmmaker reckoning with his life and story is rich and has emotional potential.
• Cinematography and visual style get attention: critics mention the film looks good, with interesting use of ratio/aspect, colour/black-&-white. Blu-ray Authority+1
• The narrative structure is fuzzy and non-linear, which may frustrate viewers seeking a clear arc. One reviewer called it “introspective but completely disjointed” and “a frustrating viewing experience… for those trying to follow the story”. joshatthemovies.com
• Some of the emotional pay-offs feel muted: the mythology deconstruction is interesting, but the film seems reluctant to deliver a strong catharsis or message beyond “things were messy”.
• The tone is quite heavy and reflective; this isn’t a light or straightforward entertainment piece.

My verdict on the film: If you appreciate deeply reflective, character-driven cinema, especially from older filmmakers looking at legacy and regret, then this will speak to you. If you prefer tighter narrative, more obvious resolution or more accessible structure, you may find it taxing.

Here we refer to the physical Blu-ray release specs and extras.

Video / Image Quality

According to Blu-ray reviewers:

• The film uses multiple aspect ratios: some scenes in 1.37:1 (present day), some in 2.39:1 (flashbacks) and even 1.78:1 segments. 
• Image clarity and detail are good. One note: in a scene you can “see the rubber mask that Gere’s character is wearing,” suggesting high detail (and perhaps a side effect of too much exposure of detail). 
• Contrast is strong, colours somewhat muted (consistent with Schrader’s style) but visually satisfying. The mix of black & white, the overlay of different styles help the film’s tone.

In short: the Blu-ray delivers a strong video presentation that supports the film’s artistic ambitions.

Audio / Sound Quality

• The track is a DTS-HD Master Audio mix. 
• Given the film is dialogue-driven, the audio focuses on clarity and presence of vocals (Gere’s voice anchors much of it). Surrounds are present but not heavily used. One reviewer: “The DTS HD Master Audio mix doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to flex its muscle, but it’s of little consequence. You don’t need the walls shaking to produce a nice, well-rounded track.”
• So if you have a good sound system, you’ll get excellent dialogue clarity and immersive enough sound for the film’s purpose.

Extras / Supplementary Material

The disc includes:

• Audio commentary by Paul Schrader. Reviewers note this is “full of insights on the film, its cast and overall production.” Blu-ray Authority+1
• A Behind-the-Scene featurette (about 3½ minutes). Blu-ray Authority
• A Deleted Scene (about 90 seconds) – minimal, and described as “doesn’t really add anything to the film”. Blu-ray Authority
• Theatrical trailer.

While the extras are serviceable, they are modest. If you’re a completist who likes lots of bonus content (making-of, extended interviews, art galleries) then this may feel light.

• For fans of Paul Schrader, Richard Gere, or introspective cinema about legacy and myth, this Blu-ray is a solid pick.
• The image and audio quality are strong.
• The extras are decent albeit modest: the commentary is the strongest bonus.
• If you prefer more conventional narrative films or want something more dynamic, you might want to wait and stream rather than buy physical.

The Blu-ray of Oh, Canada offers a high-quality presentation of a film that is artistically ambitious but somewhat uneven. On the plus side: strong visual style, excellent reference presentation, a worthwhile commentary from Schrader, and the cast gives their all. On the minus side: story structure may feel disjointed, emotional impact is subtle rather than sweeping, and for the Blu-ray itself extras are modest.

If I were to give a rough rating for the Blu-ray package (in terms of disc release quality): ~ 7.5/10. For the film itself: perhaps ~ 6/10, depending on your taste.

If you are into Schrader, Gere, or the notion of a filmmaker reckoning with his myth, this is a worthwhile Blu-ray purchase. If you’re more casual, want immediate narrative gratification, or lots of bonus content, you might explore your options. poignant love stories. Brief Encounter on Blu-ray is not just a preservation of a classic, but a rediscovery of emotional cinema at its purest.