Canadian humour exists on a unique plane from the rest of the world. It's a type of comedy that's hard to describe — not quite British, not quite American, but easily identifiable and vastly enjoyable. In Rumours, co-directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson apply a Canadian sensibility to today's political climate, resulting in almost everything we'd expect — for the better, of course.
In a fictionalized G7 summit, German Chancellor Hilda Orlmann (Cate Blanchett) hosts her diplomatic colleagues: Prime Minister Maxime Laplace (Roy Dupuis), Canada's passionate and deep-in-his-feelings leader; UK Prime Minister Cardosa Dewindt (Nikki Amuka-Bird), the keener of the group, hellbent on keeping everyone focused regardless of what's going on around them; American President Edison Wolcott (Charles Dance), who is pointedly British in speech and manner — a detail questioned but never explained; President of France, Sylvain Broulez (Denis Ménochet), the Frenchman who spends the vast majority of the film being transported in a wheelbarrow; and Italian Prime Minister Antonio Lamorle (Rolando Ravello), the most inconsequential leader of the group.
After the photo ops, the G7 leaders are tasked with writing a provisional statement, with the theme of this year's meeting as "regret." As the group dine under a gazebo in a serene garden to discuss which of the oft-used platitudes to fill the statement, a nondescript catastrophe plagues the world, which only seems to concern the G7 leaders when no one answers the ring of their bell for more food and drink.
Given that three filmmakers make up the directing credit, Rumours is impressively consistent in its tone and humour. Evan Johnson, though, takes solo credit for the film's screenplay, which contains a tongue-in-cheek, satirical look at each country's stereotypes, the actual leaders (current and former) of the real G7, and politics as a whole. The film plays around with the relationships between the leaders, where some lack respect and others are filled with sexual tension.
For a film that so clearly takes aim at the political state of the world, it is relatively free of taking a firm left or right position. Instead, Maddin and the Johnsons simply consider the absurdity of present-day politics as a construct, which, given the state of either side of the aisle(s), is probably the only logical route to pursue at the moment.
Depending on how far audiences' appetite for political satire and commentary, Rumours can either be a timely, topical romp, or a humorous affair that feels less farcical and closer to reality even given how ludicrous the world is these days.
The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5–15. Get information about tickets and screening at TIFF's website.