The Ernie Game

Studio: Canadian International Pictures

Feb 17, 2022 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

Ernie Turner is a writer—or, so he says. The young man, played by Alexis Kanner, lacks both vocation and motivation. When we meet him, he’s ducking out of his Montreal apartment to dodge his overdue rent, taking with him only a few belongings. He meets the friendly Donna (Judith Gault) and attaches himself to her, much like a feral cat that lingers once it’s found a dish of food’s been left out for it. Whenever she grows tired of his layabout, repeatedly abusive behavior, he turns to his ex-girlfriend, Gail (Jackie Burroughs), a woman who really doesn’t need him about her life, either. Despite his obvious need for their attention, Ernie seems uninterested in giving any of himself to either woman—his behavior is pathologically selfish, even as people try their best to help him improve his sorry lot in life.

The Ernie Game is an intriguing character study of a young man with mental illness. The movie is clear on Ernie having recently spent time in a psychiatric hospital, but doesn’t divulge exactly why or what for. He’s an unlikable protagonist, self-absorbed and prone to bursts of cruelty, but a compelling character. He repeatedly describes himself as a saint: at first it seems like a joke, but as the film moves on you can become convinced that he truly believes it. He also believes that he’s some kind of profound literary genius—but it’s hard to tell if he’s committed many words to paper over the course of his lifetime. The Ernie Game never provides anything that would suggest its hero’s aspirations are anything more than delusion, but Kanner plays this impulsive narcissist in a manner that will keep you wondering.

Don Owen’s film really captures a moment during a cold-looking winter in late-‘60s Montreal, with its deep snowbanks and groovily-dressed passers-by. In one scene, Ernie visits a Bohemian party, full of artist-types who are probably closer to who he perceives himself to be than he’ll ever be—which would explain his obvious disdain for those fellow guests. (None other than Leonard Cohen performs a song for the rapt audience; the scene was shot before the release of his debut album, when he was primarily known as a poet.) Ernie never seems particularly at home anywhere in this film, even as his mental welfare spirals around the drain: he wanders about as the world moves around him, which makes his inability to reciprocate any sort of kindness toward the few characters who attempt connections with him all the more frustrating.

The inaugural release form the new Canadian International Pictures home video label, The Ernie Game looks quite fetching on Blu-ray. It’s the sort of disc we could imagine that just as many people might buy for its bonus features as for the film itself: the release includes Owen’s earlier, 44-minute documentary Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen (1965), in which the cameras follow the poet and future singer around various Montreal haunts. It’s full of readings of his poems, and is a charming portrait of the soon-to-be icon. Also included are three more short films by Owen, including Notes for a Film About Donna & Gail (1966), which precedes The Ernie Game and introduces its two main female characters, as well as a bonus animated short. The booklet contains a nice essay which lays out The Ernie Game’s context within Owen’s film career.

The Ernie Game is a compelling film, even as it focuses on a character who infuriates as much as he inspires sympathy. With an incredible collection of short films included on the disc, it’s a very impressive first release from the new CIP label.

(vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/canadian-international-pictures/products/the-ernie-game-canadian-international-pictures)

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