Nurse.Fighter.Boy, directed by Charles Officer (Canada, 2008) 93 min.

Review by Michael Ricciardi

Set in the barrios of Toronto Canada and infused throughout with the rapturous rhythms and melodies of Jamaican and Caribbean musicians, Nurse.Fighter.Boy is one of those nearly perfect “gems” that give the indy film world its unique appeal. It is the simple story of a young, magic-obsessed boy named Seil being raised by his single, working mom (the boy’s dad died when he was an infant). Their lives become intertwined with an aging street fighter named Silence who has inherited his dead mentor’s deteriorating fighting gym.

Silence is in deep conflict about what he should be doing—trying to carry on his mentor’s work teaching local youth how to fight, whether or not to commit to one last illegal street fight for much needed cash, or to build a new world and fulfill his desire to be an artist. At night, he plays records whose captivating sounds blare out his window. The young mother, who lives in the same neighborhood, rides her bike back from work every night, lingering just awhile beneath his window, listening. A chance encounter slowly grows into an intimate relationship, and the fighter tries to become mentor to the young boy, who lacks the confidence to stand up to one of the neighborhood bullies.

We sense from early on—despite the sweet, sepia lighting and soulful music—that some tragedy awaits them. We hear the young boy’s narration at the beginning, saying: “My mom says there’s magic everywhere, and if you look real close, you’ll see it loud and clear...” Later, the mother-nurse tells him that “The people you love never go away.”  This seems as true for the fighter as it does for the boy and his mother (who dreams that one day her son will return to the place of his birth: St. Elizabeth, Jamaica). It is these two sentiments that together lay the foundation for this enchanting and beautifully filmed story. But the film never offends in this by slipping into excessive sentimentality. Little here seems contrived or emotionally manipulative. The acting is understated and natural. No scene is unnecessary, not a single word superfluous to the story. Everything here seems rightfully placed. The story itself is not exactly predictable, but rather, it seems, that everything that takes place simply had to be that way, and we are swept up and along with its sublime rhythms and imagery.

Written and directed by Charles Officer, and featuring solid performances by Karen LeBlanc (the nurse), Clark Johnson (the fighter), and Daniel J. Gordon (the boy)... Nurse.Fighter.Boy is a nearly flawless and truly touching film that, hopefully, will not get over-looked amidst the more sensational and graphic films of this year’s festival. We can see, in small and large glimpses, the very magic that is spoken of at the film’s beginning, and we quickly fall under its spell...ninety minutes has seldom gone by so quickly, so effortlessly.

Lastly, the soundtrack alone is worth the ticket price. It will linger with you like a long, lazy summer’s dream.