On the Other Hand, Death: A Donald Strachey Mystery (Review) – VQFF

The start to my coverage of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival was phenomenal. I had a chance to see On the Other Hand, Death: A Donald Strachey Mystery. A fantastic film starring Chad Allen, Sebastian Spence, Margot Kidder, Gabrielle Rose, Nelson Wong, Daryl Shuttleworth, Damon Runyan, Lori Taiolo, and directed by Ron Oliver, this movie was fully filmed in Vancouver (more accurately, Langley).

From the film’s summary

When Dorothy Fisher is suspended from her job as a high school counsellor it seems that homophobic parents are to blame. But when her suspension is followed by a home invasion, blackmail and murder, detective Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) takes the case.

I found the film not only very entertaining and campy but a great experiment in convoluted plotting. There were A LOT of laughs (of course, sometimes the jokes were very much queer-themed, not surprisingly). But even more profound, Oliver was capable of intertwining themes of coming of age, coming out, acceptance of homosexuality and queer love and equality of rights with an entertaining mystery story. There were moments where I almost shed tears, and moments when I was at the absolute edge of my seat, paying very close attention so that I wouldn’t lose any details from the complicated plot.

Allen is spot-on as Detective Strachey, definitely gay but more than anything, definitely human. This is not the story of a super-detective. It’s the tale of continuous struggles to maintain a solid long-term relationship while working as a private investigator. I wish I had been able to stay for the second movie and for the party, but that was not possible. I do hope that both movies end up being released either in theatrical form or on DVD. If you have a chance, you should take in some of the fantastic movies that the VQFF is offering. The line-up is fantastic.

On a side note, I really wish that the film festivals were more like the theatre productions I’ve been able to attend, where you can go in with your media pass and bring with you a +1. Sharing these movies with a friend or a loved one definitely makes the experience much nicer.