Lucy Grizzly Sophie | The bear and the doll

Fifth feature film by Anne Émond, Lucy Grizzly Sophieadaptation of The packa play by Catherine-Anne Toupin who wrote the screenplay, immerses us in the horror of cyberbullying in the form of a disturbing psychological thriller.

Haunted by the violence of sexist remarks and images to which she has been subjected on social networks, Sophie (Catherine-Anne Toupin, at once sensitive, sensual and sulphurous), a 45-year-old career woman, finds refuge in a bed and breakfast hundreds of kilometers from Montreal after losing his job. Barely sobered, she is welcomed by Martin (Guillaume Cyr, impeccable as a giant with feet of clay), an unemployed 35-year-old who is sheltered by his aunt Louise (Lise Roy, with quiet and reassuring strength), owner of the place.

Between Sophie and Martin, a dangerous pas de deux begins, punctuated by drunken nights and frank confidences, which will culminate in a mind-blowing wild bacchanal where both will drop their masks. If they seem to get along like thieves, at any moment the bonds that unite them threaten to burst. What are the true intentions of the first and what is the second hiding from her?

Before transposing The packstriking behind closed doors by Catherine-Anne Toupin (Desire, Now) created in 2018 in a production by Marc Beaupré at La Licorne, Anne Émond, gifted at portraying tormented beings, had never shot a thriller. Obviously, this genre suits her perfectly since we feel on screen the pleasure she had in juggling with the codes of the thriller.

In collusion with the director of photography Olivier Gossot (Young Juliet), Anne Émond creates shots suggesting Sophie’s state of confusion, transforming the warm lodging into a mousetrap and establishing an increasingly deleterious atmosphere. Completes the picture with the devilishly effective soundtrack by Martin Léon (Loved ones).

Although she exploits a new genre, the filmmaker does not betray her true nature. Thus in her way of portraying her heroine, tortured between the desire for revenge and forgiveness, she evokes those who were running to their doom in Night #1 And Nelly. Likewise, the look she has on the lush nature surrounding Sophie’s refuge recalls the look she had on these landscapes so loved by the benevolent father suffering in silence from the pain of living in Loved ones.

By transposing her play to the big screen, Catherine-Anne Toupin (co-writer of the series Me neither !) had to move away from theatrical conventions, although with the risk of blunting the suspense. However, the choices she made, including that of giving flesh to the character of Chantal (Marjorie Armstrong, right), Martin’s ex, prove to be judicious and in no way harm the smooth running of the story.

Likewise, the words of the screenwriter, who creates astonishingly natural dialogues, gives a chilling overview of the hateful remarks conveyed in discussion forums and offers a place for reflection on this social scourge, have lost nothing of their their power. In the realistic framework of Anne Émond’s film, the tragedy experienced by the characters takes on a dizzying dimension.

However, the author’s dark humor and the director’s playful approach, both inspired by American thrillers of the 1980s, make this Lucy Grizzly Sophiea cryptic title which takes on its full meaning over the course of the solidly crafted story, a jubilant psychological thriller during which the spectator will find himself fiercely confronted with his own prejudices.

Indoors

Check the movie schedule

Psychological thriller

Lucy Grizzly Sophie

Anne Émond

Catherine-Anne Toupin, Guillaume Cyr, Lise Roy

1:29 a.m.

7/10