Paul Schrader is on the roll of his career, which is saying something given his accomplishments and longevity in Hollywood. His recent loose-knit trilogy of First Reformed, The Card Counter, and Master Gardener show that Schrader is still at the top of his game. And now he’s working on something new, a film titled Oh, Canada, that has two big leads attached.
According to one of Schrader’s recent Facebook posts, Oh, Canada is set to star Richard Gere and Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi. The film has been talked about for quite a while, and is based on Russell Banks’ book, Foregone. Banks just happens to be a good friend of Schrader’s, so this all works out.
Here’s a synopsis of the novel: At the center of Foregone is famed Canadian American leftist documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife, one of sixty thousand draft evaders and deserters who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam. Fife, now in his late seventies, is dying of cancer in Montreal and has agreed to a final interview in which he is determined to bare all his secrets at last, to demythologize his mythologized life. The interview is filmed by his acolyte and ex–star student, Malcolm MacLeod, in the presence of Fife’s wife and alongside Malcolm’s producer, cinematographer, and sound technician, all of whom have long admired Fife but who must now absorb the meaning of his astonishing, dark confession.
Hmmm…Schrader making a bit of a meta statement here? There do seem to be some similarities with his own life, health issues, and career. It should be obvious where Gere and Elordi slot into this, also.
Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon about Oh, Canada and when we can expect to see it.
