Babysitter – Canadian Film Fest 2023
James Cameron Teaches Filmmaking
March 28 to April 1, 2023
A man hoping to cure himself of his sexist mindset hires a nanny eager to please in Babysitter. While at an MMA fight with friends, a drunken Cédric (Patrick Hivon) goes viral after he embraces reporter Chantal Tremblay (Eve Duranceau) on live television. After a scandalous newspaper article written by Cédric’s brother Jean-Michel (Steve Laplante), criticizing the lack of consent, Cédric is indefinitely suspended from his job and is forced to stay at home with his wife Nadine (Monia Chokri) and their infant child. As Cédric decides to turn a letter of apology into a confessional book about his sexist views, he hires Amy (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) to help watch over his child. It soon turns out that Amy is more than eager to serve Cédric and Nadine.
Babysitter Synopsis
Babysitter is a comedy directed by and co-starring Monia Chokri and written by Catherine Léger based on her play. After losing his job following the drunken kiss of a reporter on live TV, Cédric decides to confront his misogyny by writing a book, co-written by his brother Jean-Michel, consisting of letters to the women he has wronged over the years. Cédric hires Amy to be the nanny for his infant daughter, and both he and his wife Nadine are taken aback by Amy’s approach, which includes dressing in a sexy maid outfit. As Amy becomes a literal servant for the couple, Cédric, Nadine, and Jean-Michel are forced to confront their sexual anxieties.
My Thoughts on Babysitter
Babysitter can be a bit of a jarring film at first, as the film heavily uses extreme close-ups to illustrate Cédric’s sexist views. However, the film takes on a new life when Amy enters the picture to a certain provocative tune from 2000 by Electroclash artist Peaches. Amy is the epitome of a fantasy dream girl, probably best described as a “Sexy Mary Poppins.” The result is Babysitter being a very darkly humorous film, which also has a vaguely sinister 1970s horror vibe, not unlike the movies of Peter Strickland.
Trailer for Babysitter – Canadian Film Fest 2023
