Actress Evelyne Brochu arrives for the screening of the movie Tom at the Farm at the 70th edition of the Venice Film Festival held from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7, in Venice, Italy, Monday, Sept. 2, 2013.Andrew Medichini/The Associated Press
Xavier Dolan's new thriller Tom at the Farm may be a movie about masculinity, but its standout performance comes from one of the distaff members of its ensemble. Although she doesn't show up until well into the film, French-Canadian actress Evelyne Brochu makes a memorable impression as Sara, the best friend of the eponymous Tom (played by Dolan). She has journeyed to the countryside to figure out why her pal, who left Montreal to attend the funeral of his lover, has been off the grid so long. When she arrives at the farm, she's surprised to find that Tom has grown dangerously attached to the dearly departed's freaky family. Sara's loyalty renders her extremely likeable, while her skepticism about her hosts makes her an audience surrogate even while rooting for her to get out of there. Brochu was selected by TIFF for its annual "Rising Stars" program, and the timing couldn't be better. Not only is the actress coming off a Gemini Award in 2012 for her role on the French-Canadian soap opera La Promesse, but she previously landed a recurring role on Space's sci-fi hit Orphan Black (where she plays one of series lead Tatiana Maslany's many lovers). Brochu has already worked with two of Quebec's leading filmmakers – Denis Villeneuve in Polytechnique and Jean-Marc Vallée in Café de Flore – but it seems she's now poised for a place in the national spotlight. Adam Nayman, Special to The Globe and Mail
Adam Nayman