I thought I'd post a comment on this as most of those commenting appear to be Canadian, and so I thought an alternative viewpoint may be useful.
I first encountered this movie as a trailer somewhere - I can't recall where/when, maybe a flight or similar. I remember thinking "Josh Jackson, haven't seen him in a while" (I hadn't seen any Fringe at that time) and "Lots of nice footage of Canada". And then promptly forgetting about it. A couple of months ago I got the opportunity to finally watch One Week, and I was overwhelmed. The movie has a very simple premise, and an equally simple theme, yet the direction, cinematography, script, acting, and soundtrack all conspire to convey an impressive depth.
The story itself I found powerful, and was drawn along. To be fair, parts of it did have a certain relevance to me, but I think that anyone willing to try to fully emote with the Ben character cannot help but be touched. Josh Jackson gives an excellent performance, producing a believable and likable character with whom you cannot help but empathise.
Initially I was put off by the strange narration, however over time it grew more important in telling the story of Ben Tyler and the characters he meets, and by the end had flourished into a character all of it's own. Furthermore, the narration as well as other characters insert a certain black comedy, largely stopping the storyline from getting boring.
Not being Canadian, I undoubtedly missed many of the 'in' jokes and references; I don't think that this adversely affected my enjoyment one whit.
A significant theme of the movie was that the world (and especially Canada) is a beautiful place, and the direction and cinematography capture this exceptionally. I haven't seen any movies recently which have created as visceral a reaction in myself - I freely admit that I was in tears at times.
Overall, I highly recommend One Week. Try to watch it when you're feeling a little melancholic or down, and with an open mind just to absorb the story and the scenery, and I'll be very surprised if you don't also enjoy it immensely.
I first encountered this movie as a trailer somewhere - I can't recall where/when, maybe a flight or similar. I remember thinking "Josh Jackson, haven't seen him in a while" (I hadn't seen any Fringe at that time) and "Lots of nice footage of Canada". And then promptly forgetting about it. A couple of months ago I got the opportunity to finally watch One Week, and I was overwhelmed. The movie has a very simple premise, and an equally simple theme, yet the direction, cinematography, script, acting, and soundtrack all conspire to convey an impressive depth.
The story itself I found powerful, and was drawn along. To be fair, parts of it did have a certain relevance to me, but I think that anyone willing to try to fully emote with the Ben character cannot help but be touched. Josh Jackson gives an excellent performance, producing a believable and likable character with whom you cannot help but empathise.
Initially I was put off by the strange narration, however over time it grew more important in telling the story of Ben Tyler and the characters he meets, and by the end had flourished into a character all of it's own. Furthermore, the narration as well as other characters insert a certain black comedy, largely stopping the storyline from getting boring.
Not being Canadian, I undoubtedly missed many of the 'in' jokes and references; I don't think that this adversely affected my enjoyment one whit.
A significant theme of the movie was that the world (and especially Canada) is a beautiful place, and the direction and cinematography capture this exceptionally. I haven't seen any movies recently which have created as visceral a reaction in myself - I freely admit that I was in tears at times.
Overall, I highly recommend One Week. Try to watch it when you're feeling a little melancholic or down, and with an open mind just to absorb the story and the scenery, and I'll be very surprised if you don't also enjoy it immensely.