The Behaviour of Houses (2007) User Reviews

A Canadian film with depth and hope.

[dpyb · 10/10 · 20 June 2007]

The Behaviour of Houses is, at first viewing, an unassuming little movie about the everyday dramas that are played out between siblings and lovers—the plot revolves around a trio of twenty-somethings trying to figure out life. The more complex backdrop to the domestic scenes concerns the very contemporary dilemma of urban sprawl and the undifferentiated housing complexes that are scarring the landscape.

Director David Scott's inaugural effort is especially compelling for Canadian viewers who will see their landscape reflected on the screen. This film works against the tendency of big-budget productions to use Canadian cities and suburbs as stand-ins for American locations. In the face of the chronic lack of support in Canada for independent films, this is an example of what a determined Canadian filmmaker can do.

Excellent Debut!

[embaldwin · 9/10 · 21 June 2007]

David W. Scott's "The Behaviour of Houses" is a well crafted and thoughtful piece which is greatly attentive to the complexities of human relationships. While the film bears a dramatic weight that does much justice to the complications that arise from making commitments to loved ones and lovers, it also bursts with moments of bright and unconventional humour that are equally magnetic. Scott skillfully captures the tensions produced when the ends of personal ties are tugged at. The conflicts that arise may at first appear to be representative of contrasting external backdrops. But amidst the big city and the suburbs, lead characters Colum, Melinda, and Jeremy demonstrate how the stereotypes and assumptions typically associated with each setting crumble upon a closer look. Not only does the tight cast exude much chemistry as a whole, but the dynamics between each pairing of characters reveal the intriguing dimensions of each relationship. Sarah Title and Norman Owen create a convincing romantic relationship in the roles of Melinda and Colum. Owen beautifully expresses the internal tumbling of Colum's earnest, intellectual, and vulnerable characteristics. Title, whose character must face both personal tragedy and various tests of her commitment to Colum, her family, and herself, charges her performance with a wonderful mix of subtlety and intensity. As Melinda's brother Jeremy, Matt Murphy provides several sparks of unpredictability that complicate what is beneath Jeremy's initially disinterested and aloof guard. It is particularly amusing to watch as his shocking stories from his past abroad eclipse other characters' efforts to show him an exciting time in Toronto. There are no easy routes taken in terms of solving the problems that each character faces. The film's open conclusion invites engagement and interpretation while investing in an audience's desire to not be spoon fed neat and obvious outcomes. Scott's direction provides the story with the patience it deserves to unfold in a way that feels unforced and fresh. It's particularly refreshing to see such a film with its focus on dialogue and character development offer glittering talent in acting, writing, and direction amidst this summer's onslaught of glitzy yet often hollow blockbusters. Scott tracks beautifully tracks the undoing of knots in the bonds between people. Rather than offering new connections or portraying the breaking of old ones, we're provided with interesting possibilities for movement- a more thoughtful and sensitive approach to how relationships people have with each other- and with places- can be handled.

City-life

[anindoh · 8/10 · 9 June 2007]

"The Behaviour of Houses", David Scott's exciting debut feature, juxtaposes urban intellectuals (or would-be intellectuals) with suburban entrepreneurs and promptly proceeds to debunk the stereotypes that inhere to these seemingly-oppositional worlds.

Siblings Melinda and Jeremy act out the stereotypes and, yet, with each succeeding moment in the film, they are confronted by the contradictions of human relationships. Estranged at first, the two nevertheless rediscover shared memories, those that Melinda especially has tried to shut away in adulthood with her move to the proverbial big city in search of art and liberation.

What becomes of Melinda, especially when "the behaviour of houses", and a very personal tragedy, threaten to toss her back into a world of managed, pre-fabricated landscapes? And what of Jeremy, straight-laced and suburban, and yet with a history of European scandals? Is Colum as "sensitive" and progressive as appearances suggest? Scott prompts these questions without offering "solutions", leaving a thinking audience with a myriad of interpretive possibilities.

The city undergirds the film. Scott's project is as much about the struggle to articulate a collective, urban identity in a space marked by change, renewal, and growth as it is about a domestic drama. The camera lingers affectionately on city landmarks and streets at the start, while at other times, the gaze is far more critical. The resulting vision is complex without being gratuitously dense.

excellent film

[neuroticutie · 10/10 · 5 June 2007]

This film does a great job of getting into the psychology of youth in their struggle to make their own way in a world filled with corporate-owned suburban construction sites and tough living in the city.

It's a film that asks important questions about relationships, urban spaces, and tough choices.

There are a lot of great things to say about the film. David Scott does a great job of raising interesting ideas without being too didactic.

There is a small cast who work really well together and have great chemistry.

Subtle yet profound

[j_dem1 · 10/10 · 2 June 2007]

Rather than preaching to the converted on the topic of suburban sprawl, the film takes a more nuanced and subtle approach to its themes, creating vacuous spaces out of everyday dialogue and setting in order to convey the way that life's conveniences (and miseries) are often rooted in routine.

While the city, set against the groomed tedium of the outlying suburbs, is a space of bustle and cultural diversity, its early mornings and undecided nights can be as empty and repetitive, reflecting the psychology of the film's characters.

Rather than providing simple answers, the film asks the types of questions that are at once universal and intensely personal. An impressive directorial debut!