“Matt (Matt Johnson) and Mara (Deragh Campbell) were friends in university. But that was years ago. Now, Mara is a creative-writing professor in Toronto, married to musician Samir (Mounir Al Shami) and raising a toddler. And when Matt, now a successful author who moved to New York, wanders into her classroom, they pick up exactly where they left off — hanging out for hours on end, sharing dumb jokes, and generally being each other’s escape valve. Old friends reconnect all the time. It’s harmless, right?
Matt and Mara is all about that question, and what can happen when people refuse to confront it directly. Award-winning Canadian actress Deragh Campbell once again applies her electric screen presence to a character who’s opaque to others but open wide to Nikolay Michaylov’s camera. And writer-director Kazik Radwanski finds a new context for BlackBerry director Matt Johnson’s distinctive screen presence, seeding hidden complexities into his goofball charisma. It’s a new and specific take on a familiar narrative, leaving room for unexpected humour and warmth.” -Norm Wilner, Toronto Film Festival
