Canada’s Foreign Oscar nom: Days of Darkness

Denys Arcand's finally installment in a trilogy of themes is Canada's pick for the foreign language film category. It was the closing film for the Cannes film festival and recently preemed at Toronto's film festival, but The Days of Darkness (L'Âge des ténèbres) is no Les Invasions Barbares or The Decline of the American Empire…meaning depsite winning Oscar for Best Foreign film with the Barbarian Invasions, chances aren't in favor of this pick.

Formerly titled “Age of Ignorance”, in his dreams, Jean-Marc (played by Marc Labreche) is a knight in shining armor, a star of stage and screen and a successful author who has woman fallen at his feet and into his bed. In reality, Jean-Marc is a nobody – civil servant, insignificant husband, failed father, and closet smoker. Will Jean-Marc be able to resist the temptations of his dreamland or will he decide to carve out a life of his own?