Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Laurence Anyways

Xavier Dolan's first two films I Killed My Mother and Heartbeats focused on the relationships we lead and how stormy they become. With his third film Laurence Anyways, Dolan continues the familiar theme but on a larger scale.

The film focuses on Laurence (Melvil Poupaud) and Fred (Suzanne Clement), a young couple. Their relationship starts to come apart when Laurence reveals his inner desire: to become a woman. From that point on, they slowly start to unravel as both a couple and as people.

Dolan certainly has a knack when it comes to writing the various characters of his films. For Laurence Anyways, he has a larger scale to explore them and what makes them tick. After all, no one has the ideal life.

Mich like how Heartbeats was influenced by the films of Wong Kar-Wai, Laurence Anyways was influenced by the likes of Stanley Kubrick's later career. Indeed, certain moments do appear to be inspired by Eyes Wide Shut whether it's imagery or character interactions.

Laurence Anyways is a beautifully shot film though it's not without its few problems. Still, Dolan continues to provide an intimate portrait of everyday lives, both unflinching and insightful. It's something most directors aren't willing to depict.

My Rating: ****1/2

2 comments:

  1. This film was gorgeous and Clements was phenomenal. One of my favourite things abut this film, or any Dolan film really, is the role the costumes play in the whole story. In a just world, films like this will be nominated for Best Costume.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I absolutely love this film. Great review!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are appreciated. More so if they are appropriate.