Leslie, My Name Is Evil

From TIFF: Reginald Harkema's incendiary new film Leslie, My Name Is Evil (the follow-up to his celebrated 2006 feature Monkey Warfare) focuses on the trial of Charles Manson and his followers, but it's far from a conventional re-hash of the grisly details. Leslie is a charged, intensely stylized postmodern analysis of one of the key battles in the culture wars that consumed America for much of the sixties.

The ostensible hero is Perry (Gregory Smith), an earnest, sexually desperate young chemist engaged to Dorothy (Kristin Adams), a devout Christian who refuses to sleep with him until they get married. “I love you, but I love Jesus more,” she explains. When he's called for jury duty on the Manson Family trial, Perry is exposed to a completely different world, one defined by drugs, rock ‘n' roll and, most importantly, free love. He's especially taken with Leslie Van Houten (Kristen Hager), who appears to be the least overtly indoctrinated member of the family.

Though the filmmakers adhere to the facts, the film is fundamentally anti-realist, mixing camp, agitprop and the devices of both courtroom dramas and true-crime shows – a combination that makes for numerous moments of fiercely intelligent and spectacularly uncomfortable comedy. The film forces the viewer to confront both the trial's sordid celebrity aspects and its political-cultural connotations.

Leslie, My Name Is Evil poses two central questions: will Perry's experience change or affect him, and how can a society engaged in massive slaughter in Vietnam (an effort that involved many people other than soldiers) justify its judgement of individuals' crimes? Of course, the latter question is the most troubling, since it is put forth by Manson in response to Richard Nixon's mid-trial pronouncement that he was obviously guilty – a blatant disregard for due process that might even have bothered Dick Cheney.

But in our current epoch, it is Perry's response to the events that is most significant. His reactions raise the possibility that we may be incapable of learning from history, or even our own experiences, in any meaningful way. Though the film never explicitly mentions it, the motor impulse here isn't Vietnam so much as Iraq. And this is possibly the gutsiest and most troubling exploration of the subject to date, allocating responsibility to the individuals who make up a society as much as to its leaders.

--Steve Gravestock

About the director: Reginald Harkema was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, and graduated from the University of British Columbia's film production programme. He has edited many notable features, including Bruce McDonald's Hard Core Logo (96) and Don McKellar's Last Night (98) and Childstar (04), all of which earned him Genie nominations. He has directed A Girl Is a Girl (99), Better Off in Bed (04), Monkey Warfare (06) and Leslie, My Name Is Evil (09)
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Larry Richman: I just attended the World Premiere of Leslie, My Name is Evil at the Cineplex Odeon Varsity Theatre on Bloor Street.

Gregory Smith (Everwood) stars in this Canadian feature from writer/director Reginald Harkema. Loosely based on the 1960s Charles Manson murder trial, Leslie, My Name is Evil is a surreal comedy filled with whimsy and camp. That such a horrific event in American history can be the basis for humor may offend some, but there is a long history in cinema of biting satire which, when infused with the right creative spirit, can be entertaining as well as enlightening. Smith's brilliant performance as the "boyish juror" carries this freaky film, which is destined to be a cult classic for those with a good sense of satirical satanic humor. Fans of the actor's portrayal of Ephram Brown in the long-running television series Everwood (2002-2006) will love his positive innocence and dominating presence in contrast to, arguably, some of the most despicable characters in history.

I also had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Smith and his family after the screening. I'd long heard that he is one of the nicest actors in the business and this proved to be absolutely correct. Fans will also be happy to learn that he'll be appearing in Copper, a new series debuting on ABC television in January. I shot some pictures of the Q&A afterward of director Reginald Harkema, Gregory Smith, and many of the wonderful ensemble cast members.

Smith's brilliant performance as the "boyish juror" carries this freaky film, which is destined to be a cult classic for those with a good sense of satirical satanic humor. Fans of the actor's portrayal of Ephram Brown in the long-running television series Everwood (2002-2006) will love his positive innocence and dominating presence in contrast to, arguably, some of the most despicable characters in history.

I also had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Smith and his family after the screening. I'd long heard that he is one of the nicest actors in the business and this proved to be absolutely correct. Fans will also be happy to learn that he'll be appearing in Copper, a new series debuting on ABC television in January.