My Internship in Canada

From faraway Haiti, Souverain (Irdens Exantus) has traveled to Quebec to intern with local independent politician Steve Guibord (Patrick Huard). On his very first day, the idealistic young man witnesses Guibord desperately trying to mediate between the logging industry, which is so important to his district, and the aboriginal people who want to protect their forests. Can an internship be any more exciting? It can! Because when it comes to the question of whether Canada should participate in a war effort in the Middle East, it's suddenly Guibord's vote that decides the mission. And so the MP becomes a pawn in big politics, all the while trying to involve his constituents in the decision-making process and thus maintain his independence from the established parties. This threatens to end in a very big, national mess - and Intern Souverain is right in the middle of it.

With My Internship in Canada, director Philippe Falardeau, who was nominated for an Oscar with Monsieur Lazahr, has directed a political satire that pleases with some quite wonderful ideas and plenty of wry humor. For long stretches, Falardeau succeeds very well in exposing the pitfalls of local politics and the machinations of the international political circus. Patrick Huard, who became known to a wider audience in this country through the comedy Starbuck, is perfectly cast as an independent MP who really cares about his constituents. Caught between idealism and realism, he tries to do justice to all sides and resolve hopeless conflicts through compromise. But it is this that could be his undoing in a situation that requires him to take a clear stand.

At first glance, it seems that Guibord is primarily influenced by the Prime Minister on one side and his wife on the other. But events take on a certain comedy precisely because it is Souverain's seemingly casual remarks that keep taking events in a new direction, ensuring that the politician, bombarded with demands, temptations and abuse from all sides, does not throw in the towel and abandon his integrity. How the various sides try to advance their interests is at times delightfully wittily realized. But at many moments, the film could have done with more satirical bite.

Because even though there are some thoroughly nasty moments, the production as a whole just remains too well-behaved. It's still amusing, to be sure. But to turn a nice comedy into a great satire, the film just lacks the final kick. This is a shame in that the whole thing isn't far from being brilliant at all. But since Falardeau lacks the necessary rough edges in some crucial moments, this leads to the story rippling along too arbitrarily here and there, instead of taking aim at the mendacity of many politicians, citizens' initiatives and lobbyists with full poignancy. But even if the full potential is not exploited, in the end My Internship in Canada offers not only good entertainment, but also some good food for thought. A nice, funny comedy that lovers of entertaining political satires shouldn't miss. Longing for!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp