AppsScraps Movie Reviews

Jun 15, 2007

Let's All Hate Toronto

Release date: 20 April 2007 (Canada)

This self-indulgent work passing itself off as a documentary proves there's something wrong with the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), who had a hand in producing it. As a start, why didn't the CBC lend these guys a sound technician to take a stab at fixing some of the terrible sound associated with many of the interviews in this film? Several sections where unintelligible. Or was that just a problem of the Royal? And don't get me going on the editing or writing. The gimmick here has "Mr. Toronto" wandering coast to coast drumming up business for a "Toronto Appreciation Day". Of course, what he gets is a litany of abuse and woe from Vancouverites to Haligonians, who, not surprisingly, dislike Toronto. This horrible and decidedly not funny gag (think every bad, boring Second City show you've ever been to) is interspersed with several very well educated talking heads who try to make sense of why Canadians hate Toronto. They, at least, were interesting. This is an embarrassment for all involved but does, if nothing else, dispel the unfounded urban myth the United Nations ranked Toronto as the most multicultural city in the world (the UN never did), and for this small shred of truth in an otherwise no style, no substance film warrants my rating of 1 out of 10.

My rating 1 out of 10.


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