Pubdate: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 Source: Chronicle Herald (CN NS) Copyright: 2004 The Halifax Herald Limited Contact: http://www.herald.ns.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180 Author: Tim Arsenault NOT THE LIFE ANYONE SHOULD LEAD THE UPCOMING CTV movie The Life isn't some cookie-cutter tear-jerker of the week. The project sheds some light on the dark corners of despair in Vancouver's Eastside and working on the movie left a lasting impression on at least one of its stars. "It's a great film. I feel like I'm part of an important message. I really think everybody took a very valuable risk," Alisen Down, 28, said in a phone interview from her Vancouver home. The Life, produced by Sarrazin-Couture Entertainment and Haddock Entertainment in association with CTV, is directed by Lynne Stopkewich (Kissed, Suspicious River). It was inspired by the 1999 National Film Board documentary Through a Blue Lens, an acclaimed film that came about when some police officers in Vancouver bought a digital camera with the help of corporate sponsors and got permission to film the addicts they encountered while on duty. The Life, airing Sunday at 9 p.m., doesn't flinch in its depiction of the harrowing path followed by serious drug addicts. Down (Cold Squad, Mysterious Ways) gives an outstanding performance as Crystal. Bruce Greenwood (The Riverman, Thirteen Days, The Sweet Hereafter) and Brian Markinson (The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Sweet and Lowdown) are The Life's central characters. Arnie and Tony are a pair of veteran beat cops who grow increasingly disenchanted with the traditional police policies set up to deal with the area's problems. Arnie (Greenwood) gets frustrated with the traditional school visits he makes in an effort to warn kids about the dangers of drugs. He gets the idea to experiment on the streets by videotaping the drug-addicted residents of the Eastside to provide some real fodder for the classroom. Down says the cast brought a similar level of caring to its job. "It was so refreshing to work with people who really cared about getting it right and cared about their characters and every nuance," she said. To help capture the essence of Crystal, Down devoted as much time as she could to research. The producers helped set her up with a lot of material and meetings in a short period of time. "It was a lot of talking with people and documentary watching. What really solidified it, I think, was walking out of hair and makeup in my full Crystal-wear." Born in a country suburb of Vancouver, Down is familiar with the troubles of the neighbourhood. But working in the area for a few weeks allowed certain points to be brought home. "What I noticed most, being on the downtown Eastside filming, was in the alleyways there was a lot of writing on the walls. Most of it said, 'We're human. We have heart. We feel,' " she said. "It is a community. It is a neighbourhood. I think everybody does, for the most part, look out for each other and make sure that everyone's OK. . . . It is a very real community with a very real problem and there are people trying to fix it." The Life was actually shot about two years ago, Down said, and its airing comes as a relief to the actress. "I'm glad that they're showing it. You'd hate to work so hard on something and not have anybody see it." In a concession to dramatic tension, The Life portrays Arnie's attempts to document the lives of the addicts as being in conflict with the higher-ups in the Vancouver police department. Down met a few of the real officers involved in the Blue Lens project and said they didn't have a problem with their superiors. Down has successfully made the transition from stage roles (Hurley Burley, Death & The Maiden) to guest-starring roles on TV (DaVinci's Inquest, Cold Squad). She has also had leading roles in the independent feature films The Good Burn, Bad Money and Late Night Sessions. She has recently been working on a second season as a regular on the Vancouver-shot CBC series DaVinci's Inquest and will be shooting a police drama TV movie for CTV in Montreal in September. The Life is the 13th dramatic title in CTV's Signature Series. Previous titles include Milgaard; The Sheldon Kennedy Story; Dr. Lucille; Blessed Stranger; Lucky Girl; Stolen Miracle; Tagged: The Jonathan Wamback Story; Fast Food High; Prom Queen; and Sleep Murder. Signature titles yet to air include Selling Innocence and Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story. Established in 1997, the CTV Signature Series has a stated goal of developing programming that deals with social issues of national importance. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh