Gaby Gagnon owns a sheep farm left to him by his father in Quebec. He's a simple old man of simple means. His daughter Marie visits him with her two sons. She tells him that she left her absentee husband Steve. She wants $200k to keep the house and buy out Steve. He can't get a loan. After spending his life giving everything to his daughters, he considers selling the farm.There is a dignified sadness to the farmer. It seems to be a simple idea with a quietly powerful concept. Then the dog happens and the movie takes it to another level. His brother shows up. More is revealed about his life. There is a powerful scene with his other daughter. It could probably be tightened up a little but I wouldn't cut any of the major scenes. The performances are pitch perfect and it is such a poignant movie.

When people call a film 'intelligent' I usually shudder. Nonetheless, this one is clearly made for intelligent people. There is no doubt about that. Here is an inspired and contemplative movie about an old farmer's life, played excellently by Arcand, which moves along at almost a sedate pace. Yet, it's still very cleverly exacted - insofar as few scenes, if any, are served without building upon overall purpose. Story too is carefully crafted, and I mean 'crafted' in the sense that there was definitely much thinking going on, in the director's mind, to craft such a sublimely ruminative movie out of its many transcendent elements. In particular, regarding its screenplay - had this movie stated that it was 'based on a true story', then I wouldn't have blinked an eyelid. Need more be said? The reality is also that few viewers will like it. Mass appeal and this movie will 'ne'er the twain meet' - as there are no bangs, 'naughty affairs', nor 'action sequences' herein; unless, that is to say, the shearing of a sheep counts as an 'action sequence' in your life! On that note, please know that I'm not someone whose attention is easily maintained. Nonetheless, despite my declaring as much, I can still assure you that here is a movie which still held my attention from its beginning to its end.Here is a sensitive movie which should be watched by anyone who truly appreciates the true art of narrative driven, independent cinema. That is to say, if you need an adrenalin hit from your movies, then steer well clear of this one. For those few of us, who can appreciate when much thought and sensitivity has gone into the making of a movie, this is nothing less than quite masterly, in almost all respects - from its lilting musical score to its direction and acting. Even the movie's supporting roles were played with absolute credulity.A 'near' masterpiece perhaps? Had its ending been better, that is, more conclusive and satisfying, then I would unquestionably have give it the full '9/10'. For in only that respect (its weak and inconclusive ending) can one point towards a negative; but please don't let its only weak-point put you off. Instead, please revel in the ninety five percent of the movie which equates to true cinematic greatness - in the tradition of independent European cinema; A cerebral landscape - where realistic narrative drives the movie's increasingly reflective story forward: sort of 'Rohmer comes to Canada'! In conclusion, at (its current) 7.x out of ten, this is, alas, one of the minority of movies on IMDb which is rated fairly. Yet, were it not for its inconclusive ending, then I'd have had no difficulty in calling it a 'masterpiece'. Still, I gave it an 8/10 for the foregoing reasons. Savour and Enjoy.

"The Auction" (2013 release from Canada; 111 min.; original title "Le démantèlement" or "The dismantling") brings the story of Gaby, a 60-somethingh year old sheep farmer in the northern part of Quebec. Gaby has spent his whole life there, but is now alone, his brothers having left him, then his wife, then his 2 daughters Marie and Frederique, who chose the life in the big city (Montreal). Then one day, Marie and her 2 little boys visit Gaby. She tells him that she has left her husband Steve, and that she needs money to buy out Steve's half of the house. Gaby is determined to help her, but soon realizes he may need to sell his beloved farm to do so. Will Gaby sell the farm and dismantle his entire existence? To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first and foremost, this is essentially a movie about a farmer's life, and as such the movie moves at a snail's pace, and I mean that as a (high) compliment. The farm's environment is showcased time and again, to great effect. Second, Gabriel Arcand, in the role of Gaby, brings a towering performance that will leave you wowed at the end of the movie (he won the Canadian Oscar-equivalent for Best Actor, and much deserved at that). Third, kudos to writer-director Sebastien Pilote for bringing this story, he scored several nominations for this movie at the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars (but didn't win). Last but certainly not least, the movie has a fantastic soundtrack, composed by Serge Nakaushi-Pelletier. I am going to check if by chance the soundtrack is commercially available. Bottom line: "The Dismantling" (much better title than "The Auction") is an emotionally taxing movie that is worth the investment, time-wise, money-wise and emotion-wise.This movie was the March, 2014 release in the on-going series of Film Movement's DVD-of-the-Month Club of foreign and indie movies, and the DVD will be released to the public at large in August, 2014. As usual, the DVD comes with a number of bonus materials, and also a nice animated shortie ("The Giant", 2013 release from Spain; 11 min.), equally worth checking out. "The Auction" is another very worthy addition to the ever-growing Film Movement library. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

According to a World Bank report published in 2012,the population density (number of people per square kilometer) in Canada was last reported at 3.75 in 2010.This explains how peculiar is the case between land and people in Canada,a huge nation with vast land resources where it is almost impossible to find a human soul for hundreds of kilometers.A very small part of this aspect has been depicted by director Sébastien Pilote in his latest film "Le Démantèlement"/The Dismantling.At the core of the film is Gaby a quiet farmer who is happy living on his farm with his dog and sheep.The arrival of his daughter with financial worries and other circumstances force him to part with his farm and its animals which he reared as if they were his own children. The clash between ancient and modern is quite evident in this film as Gaby has not known any other form of life beyond the confines of his farmhouse. This is why something as elementary as an internet connection does not make much sense to him. Like in his first film "The Salesman",director Sébastien Pilote seems to continue with his concern for the underdog and a way of life which would soon disappear. He shows us that Gaby is an ordinary man whose disappearance would herald the disappearance of a good part of the village. There are religious associations too with this film.However, it would not matter a lot to this film if they are kept in the background. The film is rich in its narrative structure and clearly explains what is happening in Gaby's life and under what circumstances ? Actor Gabriel Arcand, brother of important Canadian director Denys Arcand, looks extremely convincing in his role as Gaby-a farmer who sacrifices everything to make his family happy. What makes his help special is that he does not boast at all about what he is doing.Lastly, a great film for those who are researching the phenomenon of the disappearance of smaller town and cities and factors related to it.