Review of Chaindance

Chaindance (1991)
10/10
Best Brad Dourif Film Since "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"
23 January 2005
This is a film that truly shows that Brad Dourif can act. This also shows that Michael Ironside, could have a character that truly could be "loveable".

Brad Dourif's performance as a man with Cerebral Palsy was flawless, and it was equal to Daniel Day-Lewis' Cerebral Palsy performance in "My Left Foot" released the year before. Truly this was showing a true insight into the character, since neither actor (Dourif or Day-Lewis) had the other performer's work to look upon given the production schedules and release schedules of both films.

This is high praise for me, because, I have not really been a Brad Dourif fan. I appreciated his 'Billy Bibbit' role in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), and his role as 'Piter De Vries' in David Lynch's version of "Dune" (1984) which was made with the on set assistance of the author Frank Herbert so it has a special place in my heart.

If this film EVER comes out on DVD, I will Definitely add it to my collection. I keep searching for it to come out... but like most quality "art house" Canadian films, I am not holding my breath for it to come out anytime soon.

This was a low budget film, and Aylward & Ironside as rather new writers came up with a quality script all things considered. If you compare it with a "Big Budget Hollywood Film", then you will be disappointed. But if you want a film that shows human drama from the points of view of someone with severe Cerebral Palsy (Dourif) and a Convict on work release (Ironside), with heart, and looking at it from a "Foreign Film" point of view, rather than a "Hollywood" point of view, you may find this a very touching and lovely little film to come out from our Neighbors to the North in Canada.
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