Malarek

{{Short description|1988 Canadian film}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Malarek

| image =

| caption = Film poster

| director = Roger Cardinal

| producer = Jamie Brown
Robin Spry

| writer = Avrum Jacobson

| based_on = Hey, Malarek! by Victor Malarek

| starring = Elias Koteas
Kerrie Keane
Al Waxman
Daniel Pilon

| music = Alexandre Stanké

| cinematography = Karol Ike

| editing = Yves Langlois

| studio = Telescene Films

| distributor = New World Pictures

| runtime = 100 minutes

| released = {{film date|1988|12|16}}

| country = Canada

| language = English

| budget =

}}

Malarek is a Canadian drama film, directed by Roger Cardinal and released in 1988.Gerald Pratley, A Century of Canadian Cinema. Lynx Images, 2003. {{ISBN|1-894073-21-5}}. p. 135. Based on the memoirs of Canadian investigative journalist Victor Malarek, the film stars Elias Koteas as Malarek during his early career in journalism.Ina Warren, "Canadian actor a 'new De Niro': Elias Koteas has blend of gentleness, frightening intensity". Vancouver Sun, June 21, 1988.

The film's plot centres on Malarek, as a newly hired junior reporter in Montreal, Quebec, investigating unsafe and inhumane conditions in the province's juvenile detention system, interspersed with flashbacks to Malarek's own troubled youth when he spent some time in the very same system.Chris Dafoe, "Film Review: Malarek: A Street Kid Who Made It". The Globe and Mail, March 3, 1989. The cast also includes Ross Hull as the young Malarek in the flashback scenes, as well as Kerrie Keane, Al Waxman, Daniel Pilon, Susan Glover, Bruce Ramsay, Vittorio Rossi, Michael Sarrazin and Walter Massey.

The film premiered in limited engagement in December 1988, before going into wider commercial release in March 1989.Rosemary Sexton, "Movie about reporter nominated for 3 awards". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1989.

The film received three Genie Award nominations at the 10th Genie Awards in 1989, for Best Director (Cardinal), Best Actor (Koteas) and Best Cinematography (Karol Ike)."List of nominees for the Genie Awards". Montreal Gazette, February 14, 1989.

The film's producers subsequently created the television drama series Urban Angel, which was also based in part on Malarek's life but centred on a renamed and partially fictionalized character.Rita Zekas, "Avenging angel". Toronto Star, February 2, 1991.