Watch Improper Channels

Improper Channels is a Canadian film from 1981, starring Alan Arkin, Mariette Hartley, and Monica Parker in the lead roles. The film, directed by Eric Till, is a dark satire on the bureaucracy of the Canadian judicial system. The film centers around a man named Jeffrey Martley (Alan Arkin), who becomes the unwitting victim of a bureaucratic nightmare. Martley is a small-time businessman who has been accused of fraud in a case that he believes is a simple misunderstanding. He is advised by his lawyer (played by Hartley) to plead guilty, but when he does, he is shocked to find that he is sentenced to a maximum security prison.

Martley is assigned a low-level bureaucrat named Marlene (Monica Parker) as his caseworker, and soon realizes that he is caught up in a system that is more concerned with procedure than justice. Marlene, who is in over her head, tries to help Martley navigate the complex bureaucracy of the Canadian judicial system, but finds herself caught between the competing interests of various government agencies.

The film is a darkly humorous portrayal of the absurdity of bureaucracy, and the ways in which it can often impede rather than facilitate justice. The characters are all portrayed as flawed and fallible, and the film is not afraid to poke fun at the absurdities of both government agencies and the legal system.

Alan Arkin gives a strong performance as the beleaguered Jeffrey Martley, who is slowly worn down by the Kafkaesque nightmare that he finds himself in. Mariette Hartley is also excellent as the well-meaning but ultimately ineffective lawyer, who finds herself powerless to help her client. Monica Parker brings a certain vulnerability to her role as Marlene, who is torn between her loyalty to the system and her desire to do the right thing.

The film is shot in a gritty, realistic style that emphasizes the Kafkaesque nature of the story. The drab institutional settings of the prison and various government offices are contrasted with the more brightly lit and colorful scenes featuring the characters' home lives, highlighting the ways in which the system can dehumanize even the most well-intentioned people.

Despite the bleak subject matter, the film manages to maintain a certain dark humor throughout, with many scenes of bureaucratic absurdity played for laughs. The film is at its most effective when it remains focused on the plight of its characters, rather than descending into broader political commentary.

Overall, Improper Channels is a thought-provoking and entertaining film that offers a scathing critique of the Canadian legal system. The strong performances from its lead actors and its gritty, realistic style make it a gem of Canadian cinema that deserves to be better known.