The Agony of Jimmy Quinlan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNOGAWqbaIg). Jimmy Quinlan is a middle-aged, homeless alcoholic, living on the streets of Montreal. His agony comes when he attempts to get sober, with the help of a mission. This National Film Board of Canada film is very compassionate and realistic in its portrayal of life on the streets and on the bottle. We meet many such homeless men and get a taste of the culture they have built for themselves, including how they attempt to sabotage those, like Jimmy, who attempt to escape it. These are men without hope, whose only solace comes in a bottle. We see Jimmy sweat through his withdrawal, getting help from other recovering alcoholics who have been through the same thing. The film ends on a note of uncertainty, with Jimmy sober just four days. We don't know if it will last, because it’s just one of many attempts he has made to get off the bottle. And even if he is successful, we have no idea of what may lie ahead for a sober Jimmy. This is a great slice-of-life film of a group of people that are society’s cast-offs, that most of us would prefer not to think about. And that makes it very thought-provoking. Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.