I Shoulda Never Smoke That Shit Now Im At Tha Brutalist Iranian Tim Hortons
Cinemas
Directed by Matthew Rankin
Universal Language
Une langue universelle
An atmospheric, acclaimed comedy.
Comedy
Drama
2024
1h 29m
Winter. Somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg. Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen deep within the sidewalk ice and try to find a way to get it out. Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists upon an increasingly-strange walking tour of Winnipeg historic sites. Matthew leaves his job at the Québec government and embarks upon a mysterious journey to visit his estranged mother.
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Cast & crew
5What people say
there’s such a thin line between homages that re-contextualize the original material in an interesting way vs. embarrassing ripoffs that leave you wishing you were watching the good stuff (kill bill to lady snowblood vs. joker to king of comedy) but this hits it out of the park as the former. which is all the more impressive when you consider the sheer number of distinct voices it pulls from (kiarostami, tati, kaurismäki, andersson). i was immediately snapped back to my 2019 screening of twentieth century when i couldn’t wrap my head around what i was watching but was blown away by the commitment to its artificiality. this is only slightly more coherent than century (as someone who doesn’t think about Winnipeg ever) but i was way more charmed by the quirks here.also, one of my favorites Q&As i’ve ever attended, he talked about leaning into artifice in a way i haven’t heard any of the greats that dabble in that approach talk about it. j’adore
“Iranian cinema emerges out of a thousand years of poetry, Winnipeg cinema emerges out of 50 years of infomercials.”- Matthew Rankin in the Q&A
Common questions
What is Universal Language about?+
The film follows three intersecting stories in a surreal, dreamlike vision of Winnipeg that mirrors the stylistic hallmarks of classic Iranian cinema.
Who directed Universal Language?+
The film was directed by Canadian filmmaker Matthew Rankin in 2024, known for his distinctively surrealist and deadpan approach to cinema.
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