By Forris Day Jr.
Imagine fathering over 500 children. That’s exactly what David Wozniak (Patrick Huard) did, albeit unwittingly. I say unwittingly because he accomplishes this feat in a most unconventional way. During his youth he concocts a plan to make a few extra bucks by donating to a sperm bank…over 600 times. Heck…it was next door to his apartment and the money was good. Turns out, the sperm-bank was handing out his samples as if they were candy. Now over twenty years later he learns that there is a class action lawsuit by 143 of the artificially inseminated kids who want the sperm-bank to release the identity of their father, codenamed “Starbuck”. Wozniak discovers he is Starbuck and now his moral compass is all over the place. Should he come clean and reveal his identity to these now, young adults? Should he countersue and hopefully make a huge chunk of change if he wins? Wait…there’s more. His girlfriend Valerie (Julie LeBreton) announces to him that she is now pregnant with his child and the “Starbuck” story is now all over the news. What’s a guy to do?
“Starbuck” is by far one of the best comedy/dramas I have seen in a long time. It has a really touching and heartfelt storyline, plus there is a ton of comedy tossed in. It’s subtitled in English, as it is a Canadian film with French language actors. If you only speak English such as I do, don’t let the subtitles scare you. It has loads of wonderful music too. The acting is superb with Antoine Bertrand playing his somewhat goofy best friend and lawyer who gives Wozniak a comical window into what it is like raising children. The cast includes terrific performances by Dominic Philie and his Dad, plus Marc Belanger, Igor Ovadis, David Michael, Patrick Martin, David Giguere and Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse.
“Starbuck” is well written by Ken Scott and Martin Petit. I found it an interesting journey to follow along as Wozniak slowly and secretly meets his children, one at a time, all of them different, all of them wanting to know who their dad is. His children have grown to become such things as a pro soccer player, a heroin addict and an institutionalized child who is confined to a wheelchair …and his own mind. You’ll find yourself rooting for all the kids and for Wozniak too. Can Wozniak, at 42 years old, a sort of immature child himself, change his ways and take responsibility or is the lure of a big payday too much? Watch “Starbuck” and find out.
Rating: 8/10
