‘Universal Language’ Review – Matthew Rankin’s Film Has A Frosty Charm [Cannes 2024]

The story that Universal Language attempts to unfold is ambitious. It’s also a film that can be as quirky and enigmatic as Guy Madden’s My Winnipeg. This live-action film showcases the beauty, isolation, and interconnectivity spanning from Quebec to Manitoba. The interconnectivity of the Great White North isolates itself from the rest of North America.

This is not because of community quarantining but due to their unique intersectionality. The feature presents a distinct cinematic culture. Each storyline, region, and character has a unique personality, culture, and feel that, as the title suggests, is universal in nature. Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language is a wonderfully weird film about what often blinds us and what connects us. It’s one of the few films that lives up to the old adage that the film is a “slice of life,” but you could call it a slice-of-life variety pack.

Rankin wrote the script with Ila Firouzabadi and Pirouz Nemati. He also plays a down-on-his-luck provincial government employee with a one-way ticket to see his mother at the Gateway of the West. Their script features characters crossing paths with other vibrant and lively personalities, illustrating why immigrants must find a community when migrating across the world.

One such character is Massoud (Pirouz Nemati), a local architectural tour guide whose style is far from ordinary. Additionally, two adolescent sisters (Rojina Esmaeili and Saba Vahedyousefi) stumble upon money frozen in the ice beneath their feet. This is where Universal Language comes together, transcending and blurring the lines between another time and place.

Not only is the main character a fish out of water, but he also encounters a “Canadian” gateway where diverse cultures, languages, histories, and experiences intersect. He is home, but not quite. That’s one aspect of Universal Language that many critics are overthinking—this isn’t a reimagined or futuristic film. Towns, cities, and hamlets adapt to the community they serve. (For example, a well-known Canadian coffee shop serves Iranian Tea, etc.)

The Twentieth Century director Matthew Rankin’s talent lies in setting a “normal” background, but his films look and play out as anything but ordinary. From a man dressing as a fully decorated Christmas tree to an offbeat turkey shop, not to mention a Gobbler traveling with a first-class ticket, everything about Universal Language screams Wes Anderson with a Canadian, offbeat sensibility and distinct dialogue you won’t find anywhere else.

Rankin’s eye for the unusual often stands out like a sore thumb and will undoubtedly leave many scratching their heads. However, one thing kept running through my mind while watching his film—we’ve never seen such scenes. Whatever you think of this eclectic quilt of a film, it is utterly unique and original and would make the Polish brothers envious. The final result is funny, tender, and invigorating compared to standard movie fare.

The Rankin film experience is strikingly original. Universal Language is a whimsical and surreal journey that captivates with its frosty charm.

Universal Language held its World Premiere as a part of the Director’s Fortnight section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. 

Director: Matthew Rankin

Screenwriters: Matthew Rankin, Pirouz Nemati, Ila Firouzabadi

Rated: NR

Runtime: 89m