It's not me, I swear! (2008)

I don't know whether so many Canadian movies around 2008-9 were made about kids who are traumatized by the absent of a mother. Anyway, It's not me, I swear! (Philippe Falardeau) chronicles the story about Leon, a kid who stirs up trouble everywhere he goes. If he is not trying to kill himself he wreaks havoc in the evil neighbors' house. He befriends Léa who is also eager to make trouble. The film focuses on the tumultuous world of kids and adults and the role of imagination. The parents are fighting and mummy moves to Greece. The theme itself is far from remarkable but the film proved to be an unconventionally dark take on this tangle of subjects. The film is set in Quebec in 1968 and Falardeau skillfully mixes the dreamy with the realistic, the funny with the unsettling. Just don't expect the traditional drama about a kid who's having psychological problems and the quest for a happy solution. There's not much of that - and that speaks for the film.