The Trotsky
2009 · Canada · 120 min
- Director
- Jacob Tierney
- Screenplay
- Jacob Tierney
- Producer
- Kevin Tierney
- Music
- Malajube
- Cinematography
- Guy Dufaux
- Editing
- Arthur Tarnowski
What the critics say
79 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviewsCast
What it is about
Leon Bronstein, a high school student, is convinced he is the reincarnation of the socialist revolutionary Leon Trotsky, whose birth name was also Bronstein. After he starts working at his family's clothing factory, he tries to unionize the workers through actions such as a hunger strike. His father moves him from a private school to the public system, where he soon leads students in a fight for a powerful student union. Meanwhile, he pursues a romance with an older woman, a recent law school graduate.
How it was made
Filming began in Montreal on 27 August 2008 at Lakeside Academy. Jacob Tierney wrote and directed the film, Kevin Tierney produced it, Malajube composed the music and Guy Dufaux shot it. Ben Mulroney plays himself, the host of eTalk.
Reception and legacy
The film received mostly favorable reviews, with praise for its cast and screenplay. It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, and Montreal's The Gazette likened it to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 79% rating from 14 reviews. Its box office was modest, about $440,000 against a production budget of C$6.4 million.
Stills
Trivia
A television cameo
TV host Ben Mulroney plays himself, the host of eTalk, who interviews Leon Bronstein.
Shooting at a school
Filming started in Montreal on 27 August 2008 at Lakeside Academy.
More films by Jacob Tierney
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Good NeighboursOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.