Edmonton Sun Review
// August 29th, 2007 // Reviews
Originally published in the Edmonton Sun on August 17, 2007:
The Churchill Protocol is a paranoid military fantasy, a satire on Canada’s place on the world stage and a terrific acting duel between two fine performers.
The first few minutes don’t seem to be going anywhere and are tough sledding. But stick with it and the rewards are ample.
A Globe and Mail reporter thinks he is on the trail of a hot story.
There are reports from Churchill, Manitoba (the polar bear capital of Canada) that the Canadian military is ferrying in prisoners from Afghanistan.
The intrepid newshound tracks down one Col. Ronson who has obviously spent too much time in the north.The Captain is importing goats from Afghanistan. His premise is we are too dependent on the weapons makers and he will train the goats to go to war as soldiers under the Canadian flag.
Observes the demented Colonel, “Canada doesn’t have enough money for research and development.”
So he has come up with a made-in-Canada solution to the country’s problems.
He also thinks he can render himself invisible and is working on a piece of laxative artillery that will force the enemy into involuntary bowel movements.
The Churchill Protocol is a long, long shaggy dog story. It is really more of a skit and tends to sag in the middle.
The two actors, Patrick Gauthier and Kris Joseph, absolutely believe in their material, no matter how farfetched and ridiculous it seems, and deliver strong performances.
And there is an undercurrent of rather pointed social commentary.
- Colin McLean
