I've Heard the Mermaids Singing

Year:  1987

Director:  Patricia Rozema

Screenplay:  Patricia Rozema

Starring:  Sheila McCarthy, Paule Baillargeon, Ann-Marie MacDonald

Running Time:  83 minutes

Genre:  Comedy, drama

Toronto:  Quirky dreamer Polly (McCarthy) is an aspiring photographer who works as a temp.  Her latest job involves being a secretary for art gallery owner Gabrielle (Baillargeon).  As their professional relationship develops into something like a friendship, Polly becomes increasingly fascinated by her.  However, when she meets Gabrielle's younger lover, Mary(MacDonald), she learns a surprising secret.

This very low-budget Canadian indie film is almost the epitome of quirky, indie comedy-dramas.  It's rough around the edges, and at times it's too whimsical for it's own good, but it does have enough charm and invention to sustain it, and make it something quite special.  The film moves from the "real" world (in colour) to black-and-white fantasy sequences depicting Polly's inner world.  It has it's own kind of grammar and style, for example, Gabrielle's own painting, which are supposed to be extremely beautiful, are never shown, being depicted instead as illuminated square panels, and the transition to Polly's dream worlds are depicted by fading out to red, instead of the traditional fade to black.  The performances are strong, with Polly in particular being an intriguing character, artistic and charming, but also impulsive, socially awkward, clumsy and with a habit of taking anything anyone says to her literally, she could be seen as a forerunner of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" trope of the '90s and 2000s.  The film does enter darker territory as it progresses, but it maintains it's charm.  It doesn't always work, it was originally conceived as an hour long TV film, before writer-director Patricia Rozema decided to lengthen it to feature length, and it does feel stretched in places.  However it's certainly worth checking out.    

Sheila McCarthy in I've Heard the Mermaids Singing