Love That Boy

Love That Boy, Nova Scotia director Andrea Dorfman's follow-up to Parsley Days, is a quirky little story about Phoebe (Nadia Litz), a perfectionist overachiever with questionable social skills. Poised to graduate from university, Phoebe is frantically plowing through her "To do before Graduation" list, which includes such tasks as foraging for edible wild mushrooms, watching all movies considered to be French new wave, and becoming a certified kayaker, among many, many others. Her incessant quest for well-rounded perfection eventually drives her roommate/only friend Robin (Nikki Barnett) to desert her and point out that Phoebe's life is missing one crucial thing: a real, intimate relationship. So "find a boyfriend" becomes the final thing to be checked off Phoebe's list. After one inept attempt, she finds herself accidentally falling for Frazer (Adrien Dixon), the boy next door, who is a perfect match, except for the fact that he's only 14. The character of Phoebe is so excessive off the top that she's a little hard to take, but as she begins to be affected by the very sweet Frazer, she becomes rapidly more sympathetic. Both actors do an excellent job of making their bizarre relationship both touching and believable. Though the film's production values, with its retro film stock, deadened sound and stilted dialogue, scream "Canadian" (in an Edison Twins/Littlest Hobo kind of way), director Dorfman exhibits a nice visual flair in presenting Phoebe's perfectly crafted world, imbuing it with rich and vibrant colours. (Mongrel Media)