This film is notewothy if only for being a bilangual Canadian film that is not about hockey. Speaking in both English and French, Remy Girard stars as real-life Montreal hoodlum Lucien Rivard, a figure known to have had ties with New Orleans gangster Carlos Marcello. His dealings with the CIA and anti-Castro militias are re-created as the picture brings us back to the Cold War era, exploring Rivard's involvement in JFK's assassination and its aftermath. While the implications sometimes seem far-fetched, Trap still works as a conjurer of times past, adding many 'what-ifs' to a subject that already has plenty. Having recently re-screened Oliver Stone's JFK (1991) and being a long-time fan of James Ellroy's incomparable novel 'American Tabloid', it's interesting to look at both the discrepancies and similarities that exist between each point-of-view, this time bringing the conspiracy closer to home in dealing with Montreal-born Rivard. Beyond historical credibility, Trap is simply gorgeous to look at, special touches like the recreation of some of the McClellan Committee hearings and footage from the Zapruder film keeping the viewer actively involved and wondering about the validity of the allegations presented. As I never tire of this particular piece of American history, I found it a great treat to think about the Canadian implications of it, all of which is made more fun with the bilangual performances of Girard and Colm Feore, two of Canada's best actors.
This sounds like a good one to add to our "list", and thank you for making reference to a book on the matter! i might have to look into that too!
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