The Twentieth Century

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The Twentieth Century

2020

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imperious Mother, the hawkish fantasies of a war-mongering Governor-General, and the utopian idealism of a Québécois mystic before facing one, final test of leadership. Culminating in an epic battle between good and evil, King learns that disappointment may be the defining characteristic of the twentieth century!

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Critics Consensus

A silly, surreal treat for fans of absurd comedy, The Twentieth Century takes a sideways -- and often deliriously entertaining -- look at Canadian history.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

02/25/2021

I loved the way it uses expressionist tropes and subverted thing...a little bit Monty Python...

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

02/08/2021

3/5

Finally, the film dissolves in silliness and whimsy, but not before it's given us some surreal spectacle.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

12/01/2020

3/5

It ends up being a smashingly good and goofball history of the non-world of Canadian history and flim-flammery, deeply committed to its own colonial crazy.

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Frederick Blichert

The Tyee (British Columbia)

02/13/2022

A glimpse into the debasement of a national icon is perhaps an appropriate reminder of Canadas dual role on the world stage simultaneously boastful exemplar and timid underdog.

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Lawrence Garcia

In Review Online

06/05/2021

There's no question that the director has ample technical facility ... [but] there's ample cause for disappointment, then, when it comes to The Twentieth Century.

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

05/03/2021

4.5/5

A nightmarish absurdist comedy that's full of good cheer and whimsical silliness even as it presents an almost unendurably cynical understanding of civilisation.

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Martin O

@RT37465828 07/28/2024

Brilliant satire deliciously constructed. A Must See.

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09/26/2021

2.2 I’m fine with this weird but it’s needs to be matched with equal enjoyment

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nefasto r

@Nefasto 09/07/2021

Didn't know much about Canadian political history before, and I probably know even less after the viewing, but the peculiarity, the charm and the sense of humor of the film makes it time well spent.

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dave d

@RT34924333 07/28/2021

Part drunk history and total farce, 'The Twentieth Century' could be a straight faced account an American would give on Canada politics in 1950. Matthew Rankin, after making a series of shorts, brings us the kind of unique vision for a feature that will either captivate you or lose you. Put me in the mesmerized camp. I liked the artistic expression Rankin uses coupled with a hint of comedy. There may also be several inside jokes that Canadians get more than the neighbors to the south. What an escape from all the normals! Final Score: 8/10

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03/15/2021

A smart and funny take on a chapter of Canadian history defying the laws of contemporary cinema: cross-gender acting, almost non-existent scenery and so on. All these 'new' tools do not turn film into a Frankenstein monster though, on the contrary adding a new perspective.

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03/04/2021

Rankin is clearly indebted to Guy Maddin here and while the world building isn't as airtight I can appreciate the go for broke weirdness and some truly hilarious sequences.

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Matthew Rankin

Director

Dan Beirne

Mackenzie King

Sarianne Cormier

Actor

Catherine St-Laurent

Ruby Eliott

Mikhaïl Ahooja

Bert Harper

Brent Skagford

Arthur Meighen

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Synopsis

Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imperious Mother, the hawkish fantasies of a war-mongering Governor-General, and the utopian idealism of a Québécois mystic before facing one, final test of leadership. Culminating in an epic battle between good and evil, King learns that disappointment may be the defining characteristic of the twentieth century!

Director: Matthew Rankin
Producer: Menaïc Raoul, Gabrielle Tougas- Fréchette
Screenwriter: Matthew Rankin
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 20, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2020

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