Barbarian Invasions is an often funny, sometimes painful, look into the life of cancer ridden Remy, a man who wants to die with dignity and grace. While he and his successful son Sebastien have had a turbulent relationship to say the least, this doesn't stop his oldest boy from doing everything in his power to make his father's last days on Earth more comfortable. This includes rounding up friends and lovers from Remy's adventurous past, so that they might all have one last big get together. And in an even stranger demonstration of love, Sebastien sets out to score heroin to ease his father's pain and suffering.

This sequel to Decline of the American Empire (a film which I haven't seen) recently won the Oscar for best Foreign Film, and was also nominated in the screenplay category. Barbarian Invasions is a movie about life, death, friendship and sex, but mostly it's about communication.

Going in, I really had no idea what the picture was about. I expected something a little more serious and while there certainly are intense moments to be found, much of Barbarian Invasions is light on it's feet.

This is an ensembele, and the entire cast shines - most notably Remy Girard as a man trying to make peace with himself and those around him. In that respect, it reminded me of the Aids drama It's My Party.

Since this is essentially a character study, there is a lot of dialogue, and since the picture is shown with subtitles, there is a lot of reading involved. It is, however, an easy film to follow so don't let the subtitles discourage you from seeing it. Many of the conversations are profound and honest, but the movie does tend to be a tad too intellectual for it's own good.

There are undeniable moments of emotional power in Barbarian Invasions. The reconciliation between father and son works and isn't drawn out. Remy and Sebastien have a fair share of shouting matches throughout the picture, but it's clear that they love each other. When the two finally do connect, it is a heartbreaking, sincere moment.

There is also a sequence that features the horrifying incident that took place on 9/11, and while it's an image that some of us don't like to be reminded of, it's something we always need to remember.

Barbarian Invasions isn't a perfect film. It is uneven and the balance between comedy and drama isn't always on target. The ending is also a tad heavyhanded. I also found that some characters in the picture didn't serve much of a purpose (i.e. an officer who helps Sebastien find a heroin connection seemed unnecessary). Overall, however, I was won over by the simplicity and heartfelt nature of Barbarian Invasions, and it sure was nice to see a movie about people helping other people for a change.