Reuters reported on Saturday (hat tip to Drudge) that the controversial British film about the assassination of President Bush actually won a critics’ choice award at the Toronto Film Festival. I imagine you’re all surprised:

"Death of a President," which stirred controversy in the days ahead of the festival, took home the Fipresci prize, which is chosen by international critics. The film, a fictional documentary showing the assassination of President Bush, was noted by the jury "for the audacity with which it distorts reality to reveal a larger truth."

See, now that’s exactly what moviegoers want these days: a film that distorts reality to reveal a larger truth. Of course, in a disturbing sort of way, that’s better than the normal media blathering which distorts reality to reveal a tapestry of lies in order to further the goals of one of the nation's major political parties. But, I digress:

Accepting the award, British director Gabriel Range said he was encouraged the film had recently signed a U.S. distribution deal. "I hope that's proof that people can see beyond the premise and see that it's a film about this post 9/11 world we live in," he said at a ceremony.

See beyond the premise? You created a film about the assassination of the most powerful man in the world who just so happens to be a close ally of your country’s prime minister, and you hope that people are going to see beyond this? Couldn’t this point have been made just as strongly using a fictionalized character that isn’t still alive and still in power, or is that beyond your creative aptitude?

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.