The Exchange is the third full-length feature film by director Dan Mazer, whose previous efforts Dirty Grandpa and I Give It a Year were of varying to poor success (although the latter had an unexpected approach to the falsehood of fast romance). His latest is a pleasant throwback tale of a young man named Tim, growing up in a small-town in Canada in the mid-‘80s and loosely based on youthful experiences of screenwriter Tim Long. Its delightful story taps into our collective love of the teenage nerdy outcast, ‘80s nostalgia and an ironic rebellion against yet attachment to small-town life.
The film follows Tim (Ed Oxenbould), a social outcast in a small, constantly snowy Canadian town. He is too smart for those around him, but he knows it. He is the kind of young man who fancies himself an intellectual, who watches French films, reads obscure books and is teased about it at school. Oxenbould plays Tim with a bristly awkwardness that works perfectly for his character. We believe Tim is pretentious but can defend himself. Instead of being just pathetic nerd, he has a snark that him tough character to fully embrace. When a fellow nerd, Brenda, tries awkwardly to charm him, her attention completely goes over his head.
Tim hopes to find a new, sophisticated friend through a Canadian-French exchange program. Instead of a like-minded European, Tim finds himself stuck with Stephane, played by Avan Jogia, who brings hilarity and commitment to ridiculous role as a charismatic, sex-crazed, hip foreign exchange student who crashes into Tim’s life. Suddenly, the town falls in love with Stephane and Tim feels more isolated than ever. Throughout the film, we see Stephane and Tim’s friendship emerge and evolve. The town’s own welcoming spirit clashes with people’s small-mindedness and racism.
What works best here is Stephane’s delightful exchanges with Ed and the surrounding town. Misunderstandings arise that expose value differences, small-minded thinking and vulnerabilities. We have genuine moments of connection, exposure of hypocrisy and great moments of comedy. Underneath it all, the writer clearly has a soft spot for small town life. Even as the townsfolk react in ignorant ways to this new subversive teenager in their midst, they are sometimes quite kind to him. Stephane and Ed butt heads, as Stephane barrels forward with an endlessly optimistic charm and Ed rejects the young man who wants to make him more open and vulnerable. This dynamic leads to quite a few hilarious moments. Secondary characters also shine, including Tim’s parents (Jennifer Irwin and Paul Braunstein), a mean-spirited part-time cop (Justin Hartley) and the ridiculous and adorable Brenda (Jayli Wolf).
Not every joke lands, but the humor is solid and sometimes very clever. At other moments, pacing could have been tweaked, scenes allowed to develop. Despite a fairly predictable plot, the boys’ dynamic is genuinely charming and unique. In a world full of both nostalgic and inventive teen comedies, a more refreshing plot may have made this more memorable. The film mostly succeeds with its rebellious attitude and social commentary, its small-town charm and specific main and secondary characters who shine with more depth than one would expect. The Exchange is a fun film worth a watch for those who enjoy coming-of-age stories and sardonic humor.
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