Kino Lorber proudly brings us Oh, Canada, a gripping, no-holds-barred adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel Foregone, from the mind of the one and only Paul Schrader. The legendary Schrader—known for his unsparing explorations of the human psyche—takes on familiar themes of guilt, legacy, and self-reckoning in a story that feels as much about the artist as the art itself.
At its center is Leonard Fife, played with simmering intensity by Richard Gere, who reunites with Schrader over 40 years after their unforgettable collaboration on American Gigolo. Now, Gere embodies a very different man: an aging, defiant filmmaker looking down the barrel of his own legacy. As Fife battles illness, he’s determined to leave no stone unturned about his turbulent past—from his controversial days as a Vietnam War draft dodger to the fractured relationships that haunt him. And in typical Schrader fashion, Fife isn’t looking for a sanitized obituary.
In a series of raw, introspective interviews with Malcolm (Michael Imperioli), a former student-turned-confidant, Leonard sifts through the rubble of his past. Alongside him is his steadfast wife and creative partner, Emma, portrayed with elegance and grit by Uma Thurman, who bears witness to both his triumphs and his transgressions. And as Fife recounts his rebellious days, Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi steps in to embody his younger, uncompromising self, transporting us back to the idealistic ’60s and the disillusionments that followed.
