It starts with an accident. Henry Welles (American actor Zach Braff) had had too much to drink when he got behind the wheel of his car. Impaired. he makes a wrong turn and runs over Nathalie (Isabelle Blais). In a fit of panic, he stomps on the accelerator and leaves Nathalie lying in the street, unconscious, bleeding and eight months pregnant. When she wake in the hospital she learns her future world has been destroyed and the baby she is carrying is dead. Her husband, Michel (Patrick Labbe) is too unnerved and emotionally bereft to deal with the tragedy. As her live unravels, she stumbles across Henry—who has been searching for his victim. Unaware of what he has done, Nathalie sees him as an unlikely guardian angel, everything Michel is not—compassionate, charming and a little crazy. She finds a welcome relief in the tall, rumpled stranger that seems only too willing to offer her refuge. But Henry has his own problems. His past misdeeds are catching up, and he soon discovers that the police are steadily closing in. The inevitable collision will force both Henry and Nathalie to confront loss, labor and life, and to ultimately decide whether the cost of living is worth the price.
The High Cost of Living was an Official Selection at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. It is Deborah Chow`s first feature film.
93 minutes – Drama
Release date: April 22, 2011
Canadian Distributor: KinoSmith
US Dstributor: FilmOption International
Kimberley Berlin
Susan Schneir
Heidi Levitt
Walter Klimkiw
Claudine Sauvé
Jonathan Alberts
Benjamin Duffield
Zach Braff
Isabelle Blais
Patrick Labbé
Aimee Lee
Julian Lo
Sean Lu
Kyle Switzer
Mylene Savoie
Paula Jean Hixson
Qamar Abbas
Maximilien Garneau-Pillet
Henry Welles
Nathalie
Michel
Wai Lin
Johnny
Kenny
Eli
Anna
Olivia
New Father
Johnny`s Friend
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First published as Northernstars.net February 1, 1998
ISSN 2563 4895