How Heavy This Hammer

How Heavy This Hammer is a 2015 Canadian drama film directed by Kazik Radwanski. The film had its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and its international premiere at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.[1]

How Heavy This Hammer
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKazik Radwanski
Written byKazik Radwanski
Produced byDaniel Montgomery
Kazik Radwanski
StarringErwin Van Cotthem
CinematographyNikolay Michaylov
Edited byAjla Odobasic
Production
company
MDFF
Release date
  • 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) (TIFF)
Running time
75 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Erwin is slowly drifting from familial normalcy into complete oblivion. A husband and father of two, he'd rather spend his evenings playing computer games in solitude than with his concerned wife and increasingly abandoned sons. He idles in his office toiling at his computer and playing rugby on the weekends as his marriage and relationships disintegrate.

Cast
  • Erwin Van Cotthem as Erwin
  • Kate Ashley as Kate
  • Seth Kirsh as Seth
  • Andrew Latter as Andrew
  • Deragh Campbell as School Teacher
  • Matt Johnson as Hardware Store Employee

Reception

During its festival run, it received generally favorable reviews from critics.[2] Adam Cook in a dispatch to Brooklyn Magazine wrote "Radwanski’s sensitive and empathetic approach effectively brings the viewer into this mundanity and helping us understand the silent pressures and tensions of this unremarkable man and his existential woes."[3] Angelo Muredda for Cinema Scope said "In just two features and several shorts, co-conceived with producing partner Dan Montgomery, Radwanski has proven himself a gentler, Southern Ontarian answer to Dardennes-style social realism, finding dignity and pathos in the repetitive rhythms and small pleasures of working-class lives."[4] Mubi Notebook editor Daniel Kasman observed "Such a small story, such an average person to spend time with—this is something no television show would attempt, no mid-tier festival film dare gamble their eligibility for an audience award on. Yet here it is: quiet, a bit pensive, a bit mysterious, and never less than thoughtful. The kind of film you love to discover at a festival."

However, not all reviews were positive during its festival run; The Hollywood Reporter deemed it "an aggressively dreary look at a man who shouldn't have had a family".[5]

During its Canadian theatrical run, the film was met with critical acclaim; it was ultimately nominated for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2016, though it did not win.[6] The National Post named it "a must-see this week when it opens theatrically in Vancouver and Toronto,"[7] The Toronto Star praised its "unique combination of empathy and scorn,"[8] NOW Magazine said "Radwanski packs a lot of angst into his slim running time,"[9] Exclaim! stated it was "one of the very best Canadian films of the year,"[10] and The Globe and Mail called it "raw and engrossing."[11]

When the film had a theatrical run in New York in 2016, it was met with mixed reviews: The New York Times wrote that "whatever investigation it’s attempting, the movie is leaden in its pacing — the first 15 minutes feel like an hour — and its constricted shooting style, practically all hand-held almost close-ups, is transparent in its contrivance of realism."[12] Meanwhile, The Village Voice proclaimed that it was, "Striking, clear-eyed, and very, very funny, it's been justly celebrated as one of the best Canadian films in years."[13]

How Heavy This Hammer currently holds a 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 reviews.[14]

References
  1. "The secret to Canadian film success? Lentils (and lots of luck)". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  2. "'Toronto 2015:How Heavy This Hammer'". Fandor. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  3. "'At the Toronto International Film Festival': Film Review". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  4. "'How Heavy This Hammer — Contemporary World Cinema': Film Review". Cinema Scope. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. "'How Heavy This Hammer': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  6. "Toronto Film Critics Association names Moonlight best film of the year". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  7. "'I want there to be some chaos': Kazik Radwanski's How Heavy This Hammer brings his 'ordinary insanity' to life". National Post. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  8. "How Heavy This Hammer". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  9. "Nothing matters but the online fantasy game in How Heavy This Hammer". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  10. "How Heavy This Hammer Directed by Kazik Radwanski". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  11. "Director Kazik Radwanski on creating How Heavy This Hammer". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  12. Kenny, Glenn (16 February 2017). "Review: In 'How Heavy This Hammer,' Life Takes a Toll on Dad". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  13. "At MoMI's First Look Fest, Behold the Films Too Bold for Release". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  14. "How Heavy This Hammer (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
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