The Lesser Blessed

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.

Where: Vic Theatre

Rating: Three stars

Defying what might be considered unfair expectations — that because of its bleak subject matter and setting it might be a depressing snore — this story of a First Nations teenager trying to come to terms with his painful past in the Northwest Territories and negotiate the bumpy path to adulthood is a commendable achievement. Adapted by director Anita Doron from UVic creative writing grad and Tlicho author Richard Van Camp’s novel, it’s a perceptive, emotionally involving portrait of adolescent isolation. Newcomer Joel Nathan Evans is a standout as Larry Sole, the lanky, socially maladjusted Tlicho teenager harbouring a dark secret, and Van Camp has a real ear for dialogue and the rhythm of life in such remote communities with limited options. Despite its narrative simplicity, this nicely understated coming-of-age drama packs a powerful emotional punch and benefits from a solid supporting cast, notably Twilight’s Kiowa Gordon as a tough, charismatic new Métis kid in town, Chloe Rose as the popular local blonde beauty, and a deglamourized Benjamin Bratt of Law and Order fame, subtly affecting as Jed, Larry’s mother’s boyfriend.

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