Montreal in the movies
Thanks to its eclectic architecture, the Canadian city is an ideal place to shoot Hollywood films
Forget the indie rock scene. Montreal is getting a reputation in Hollywood as the place to go to shoot your movie. “The strength of Montreal is that its architecture can look like Paris, New York, Moscow, London and even Mumbai. Recently, I met Indians who told me that De La Commune Street, with its facades, reminds them of the waterfront in Mumbai,” says Nicholas Barker, the man who is in charge of reading through film scripts to choose suitable locations within the city.
At a glance
Tourist spots in Montreal that can change appearances for movie cameras Mount Royal Park can
easily pass for New York’s Central Park, as they were designed by the same landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.
Saint Jacques Street, with its rows of Victorian buildings, looks a lot like the area around the New York Stock Exchange.
The Palais des Congrès. “With its large hall and escalators, just add a crowd armed with suitcases and a voice announcing departures, and bingo, you are at the airport,” says Barker.
Saint Helene Street. “It offers old-timey scenery with its cobblestones, facades and old gas lamps.”
An early 1900s Liverpool was recreated here for “Grey Owl” with Pierce Brosnan.
Montreal City Hall: Scorsese shot here
Which movie: “The Aviator”
It’s here where Martin Scorsese shot the scenes in “The Aviator,” in which we see Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes defend himself in front a board of inquiry in his war against Pan Am’s monopoly on international flights.
Where: Rue Saint-Paul
Which movie: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
The cobblestones that lead to the Bonsecours Market and its gray majestic dome is where David Fincher shot the Russian scenes in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” “We made snow fall, the dome was changed during post-production to make it look more Russian, and bingo, we were in Moscow!” says Barker.
Where: Place d’Youville
Which movie: “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”
George Clooney recreated a portion of the Berlin Wall for his film,
“Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” in this square. Proof that the
film’s art director was resourceful — the square’s granite obelisk was
transformed into an observation tower.