Author Topic: Xavier Dolan - Wonderkin film maker  (Read 33269 times)

Offline Sheriff Roland

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Xavier Dolan - Wonderkin film maker
« on: May 25, 2009, 11:52:58 am »
J'ai tué ma mère

http://www.northernstars.ca/News/0509250820_cannes.html

Xavier Dolan's film J'ai tué ma mère ( I Killed My Mother ) won the Art Cinema prize for its screenplay, the Regards Jeunes award and the SACD prize for best French-language film on Friday.

When it came time to turn his screenplay into a film, he used his own money, all $150,000 of it. He did get funding from Telefilm Canada and Québec's Société de dévelopment des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) but only after filming on his debut feature had started.

Dolan wrote, directed and acted in the film, which is a coming-of-age drama about the complicated relationship between a young man discovering his homosexuality and his mother.


Humm... Didn't C.R.A.Z.Y. have a similar 'history' just 4 years ago. ... Coming of age of a homosexual youth ... low budget ... Québecois ... recognition at Cannes.

Hope people get to see this one.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2012, 08:30:22 am by Sheriff Roland »
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Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2009, 12:08:32 pm »
"J't'haïs!"

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDa0CkKjfsk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
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Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2009, 12:11:07 pm »
Québécois filmmaker electrifies Cannes

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/qubcois-filmmaker-electrifies-cannes/article1151287/


Anne Dorval, a pillar of Quebec television and theatre, was dubbing a film into French when a teenager knocked on the studio door, a screenplay in his trembling hands.

Ms. Dorval took mercy on the nervous boy named Xavier Dolan, a 16-year-old former child actor from Montreal who spoke in a whisper.
...

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Offline magicmountain

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2009, 10:58:31 pm »
Thanks for that info Roland. Congratulations to Canada!

Australia had a win at Cannes as well. Aboriginal director Warwick Thornton won the Camera d'Or for Samson and Delilah - voted the best first feature film across all sections of the festival, beating 25 others.

The film is a beautiful yet brutal love story set on a remote Aboriginal community in Alice Springs. It deals with the harsh realities faced by those living in Australia’s hundreds of Aboriginal communities, including petrol sniffing, destitution and violence.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N69RgtW6S8o[/youtube]

Here is an interesting round-up of Cannes by Australia’s leading film commentator David Stratton.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25536705-16947,00.html
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Offline louisev

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2009, 10:49:49 am »
I think Dolan deserves the credit rather than Canada, wouldn't you say?  Since he wrote, acted, and directed it.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2009, 12:27:10 pm »
Yes Dolan deservers most of the credit.

But then so does Québec for producing him, and having respected actors who supported him because of the very positive cultural climate and (eventually) with funds.

And so does Canada - for similar reasons ($$) + the freedom to being able to express himself (less homophobia), to have the financial means of starting up the film (he was able to earn the original 150 000$ as a child actor) and of fostering the creativity - in what some would call a 'sociallist' country.

Pride can be celebrated by all.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2009, 12:42:45 pm »
The Canadian Film Board is a legend worldwide for its support of emerging filmmakers since the times when "Indie" meant a certain car race. You are right to be proud of it!
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Offline louisev

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2009, 03:15:31 pm »
Yes Dolan deservers most of the credit.

But then so does Québec for producing him, and having respected actors who supported him because of the very positive cultural climate and (eventually) with funds.

And so does Canada - for similar reasons ($$) + the freedom to being able to express himself (less homophobia), to have the financial means of starting up the film (he was able to earn the original 150 000$ as a child actor) and of fostering the creativity - in what some would call a 'sociallist' country.

Pride can be celebrated by all.

yep, them socialist countries sure do serve up some good independent cinema!
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline magicmountain

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2009, 08:01:54 pm »
yep, them socialist countries sure do serve up some good independent cinema!

Can't we leave politics out of it for once?
Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all. - Alexander the Great

Offline louisev

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2009, 01:00:50 am »
Can't we leave politics out of it for once?

And so does Canada - for similar reasons ($$) + the freedom to being able to express himself (less homophobia), to have the financial means of starting up the film (he was able to earn the original 150 000$ as a child actor) and of fostering the creativity - in what some would call a 'sociallist' country.

Pride can be celebrated by all.

Roland started the topic, Roland made a point of mentioning the oft-alluded-to "socialist" moniker people use on Canada.  And the fact is, public money raised through taxes in Canada have contributed very heavily to a flourishing in all of the arts which puts the US to shame.  This has been true for as long as I've been alive and living in both the US and Canada. 
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2009, 05:30:56 pm »
There have been more awards for the little film from 20 year old Xavier Dolan:

A 'Golden Puffin' from the Reykjavik's International Film Festival last month.

And now, from the 'Festival international du film francophone de Namur' in Belgium, three more awards:

Best actress for Anne Dorval,

Best first production (to Dolan), and

Best film, long format.

It's also been selected as Canada's representative film in the foreign movie category for next March's Oscars. (nomination finalist have yet to announced, of course).

http://www.matin.qc.ca/articles/20091010074012/bayard_dor_pour_film_jai_tue_mere.html
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Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2009, 03:10:11 am »
Another week, another award ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE59G0G020091017

This time it's Vancouver's Film Festival that awarded 'Xavier Dolan's semi-autobiographical drama "J'ai Tue Ma Mere" (I Killed My Mother) ... the juried best Canadian feature film trophy' which included a 20 000 $ prize money for the first time young film maker.
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Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #12 on: December 06, 2009, 06:38:34 pm »
I just got back from seeing the film and I LOVED it!  A very impressive first film indeed. (The film would be great in a double bill with TARNATION, another impressive feature from a young gay man.) Xavier Dolan has talent to spare, that's for sure.  It doesn't hurt that he's also a cutie-patootie, lol!  I was also really impressed with the actor who plays his boyfriend Antonin.  His name is François Arnaud and he's definitely one to watch for:


I love that it's rated G in Québec even though there are scenes of same-sex kissing and love-making between 16 year olds.  Ontario gave it 14A.  It will be interesting to see what the homophobic MPAA gives it when it's released in the U.S.

Offline Berit

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2009, 06:43:47 pm »
Oh those yeys..... :-X
Ennis.....always Ennis.....

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2009, 07:31:12 pm »
I'll have to definitely watch for this!
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Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2010, 10:00:40 am »
Another Hat Trick + one!

The Jutra awards have been announced this morning and J'ai tué ma mère is up for Best Film.  The Jutra (Prix Jutra) is awarded annually to films from the Quebecois part of the Canadian film industry.  Xavier Dolan, who produced,  is also nominated for Best Actor, Best Direction & Best Screenplay so he could be at the podium four times!  Anne Dorval, who plays his mother, is nominated for Best Actress.

Well deserved, congrats!

Nominees:
http://www.us.imdb.com/news/ni1585121/

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Jutra+awards+True+form+consensus/2574354/story.html

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #16 on: March 14, 2010, 05:03:08 pm »
Xavier Dolan has talent to spare, that's for sure.  It doesn't hurt that he's also a cutie-patootie, lol!  I was also really impressed with the actor who plays his boyfriend Antonin.  His name is François Arnaud and he's definitely one to watch for:


I love that it's rated G in Québec even though there are scenes of same-sex kissing and love-making between 16 year olds.  Ontario gave it 14A.  It will be interesting to see what the homophobic MPAA gives it when it's released in the U.S.
Apparently this is not rated yet, and is playing in the U.S. only at film festivals.  >:(
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Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2010, 05:41:01 pm »
http://www.newdirectors.org/2010/i-killed-my-mother-jai-tue-ma-mere/

Additional screening Thursday, April 1 added by popular demand! Director Xavier Dolan’s cri de coeur bracingly exposes the limits of love. Dolan himself plays the lead character, Hubert, a fiery creature full of lust and venom. His burgeoning (homo)sexuality is distinctly and intensely at odds with his mutually parasitic maternal relationship. The more Hubert and his aggravatingly conventional mother (Anne Dorval) realize they cannot continue to live as child and parent, the more they are drawn to each other.

Their intimacy can only manifest through vicious arguments, lending an Albee-esque absurdity to their encounters. Dolan brilliantly situates the violence of the relationship within an exquisite filmic structure, allowing the humor and the pathos of his tale to emerge

New Directors/New Films is presented by The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center and is supported by Kenneth Kuchin, The Junior Associates of The Museum of Modern Art, The Film Society of Lincoln Center's NEW WAVE group, and Eastman Kodak.

Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2010, 11:40:51 am »

The gorgeous teaser trailer for XAVIER DOLAN"s second film, LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES which was selected to play at CANNES:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCPIof4kNQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

http://www.lesamoursimaginaires.com/

Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #19 on: May 16, 2010, 12:26:01 pm »

Apparently the reviews coming from Cannes for Dolan's sophomore film, LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES (Heartbeats) are mostly favourable:

http://mubi.com/notebook/posts/1849

excerpt:

Mike D'Angelo at the AV Club: "To say that Xavier Dolan's sophomore effort lives up to expectations won't mean much to most of you, since his terrific debut, I Killed My Mother, which swept the awards in the Directors' Fortnight here last year, has yet to open in the States. So just trust me: This French-Canadian kid (he turned 21 in March) is a born filmmaker, with the potential for greatness once he manages to shake off his many influences and develop a style of his own. Saddled with the lame English-language title Heartbeats  — the French title is Les amours imaginaires, or Imaginary Loves — Dolan's new film, from a narrative standpoint, is a nearly threadbare tale of unrequited love."

Offline southendmd

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #20 on: June 17, 2010, 10:19:28 pm »
J'ai tué ma mère

Hope people get to see this one.

Finally!  I'm seeing it tomorrow! It's showing at the Provincetown Film Festival!

Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #21 on: June 18, 2010, 08:20:43 am »
^^^^Can't wait to hear your opinion.  Enjoy!^^^^


http://www.lesamoursimaginaires.com/

I saw his second film LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES (HEARTBEATS) last weekend and loved it!  Two friends competing for an object of desire's affection; unrequited love; who hasn't been there.  Portrayed with style, wit and affection. Gorgeously shot.  The film's tag line is Fuis-moi, je te suis  (Run from me, I'll follow)  :)

It won the prix Regards jeunes at Cannes and more recently the top prize at the Sydney Film Festival.

The object of their affection is played by Niels Schneider who reminded me of a blond Robert Pattinson:


Offline southendmd

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #22 on: June 19, 2010, 10:11:53 am »
While I liked much about "J'ai tué ma mère", ultimately the endless rapprochements between Hubert and maman got tedious.  Teen narcissism on parade!  François Arnaud as bf Antonin was very appealing, and provided a nice contrast.  Also, the boarding school friend Eric (played by Niels Schneider) had the best line to challenge Hubert:  what's your life about?  Mine's not about hating my mother; it's not about having a mother.

J't'aime, J't'haïs.  I love you, I hate you.  Rinse, repeat.


Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #23 on: June 19, 2010, 02:13:22 pm »
While I liked much about "J'ai tué ma mère", ultimately the endless rapprochements between Hubert and maman got tedious.  Teen narcissism on parade!  François Arnaud as bf Antonin was very appealing, and provided a nice contrast.  Also, the boarding school friend Eric (played by Niels Schneider) had the best line to challenge Hubert:  what's your life about?  Mine's not about hating my mother; it's not about having a mother.

J't'aime, J't'haïs.  I love you, I hate you.  Rinse, repeat.



Harsh!  Middle-aged cynicism on parade?  ;) I agree about Francois Arnaud as Antonin,  it would have been nice to have more of him in the story.

Your expectations were probably too high after all the buzz the film received.  It's not a perfect film of course, but it certainly is a surprisingly good first film by such a young guy.  I mean you have to cut him some slack, he was 19 when he made it.

The actor who plays his mother, Anne Dorval, plays yet another mother in the second film, Niels Schnieder's. .  She's almost unrecognizable.  
« Last Edit: June 20, 2010, 12:21:36 pm by oilgun »

Offline southendmd

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2010, 12:43:57 am »
Ouch!  Anyway, my film-going companions (equally middle-aged) concurred.  BTW, we sat next to a vrai Québecois, who said that his mother told him to see the film!

I'll look for "Les amours imaginaires". 

Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #25 on: June 20, 2010, 12:30:18 pm »
Ouch!  Anyway, my film-going companions (equally middle-aged) concurred.  BTW, we sat next to a vrai Québecois, who said that his mother told him to see the film!

I'll look for "Les amours imaginaires". 

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.  It seemed like a witty comeback and was meant as just a friendly dig (I had screwed up the 'wink' icon so I put it back).  It's possible I might be over-protective of our talented cutie.

Offline oilgun

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Re: Scoring a hat trick at Cannes - and nobody noticed
« Reply #26 on: October 09, 2010, 09:29:02 am »
LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES is a hit in France with 61 000 tickets sold after one week.


Louis Garrel , who had a surprise cameo at the end of Les Amours Imaginaires, will be the lead in Xavier Dolan's third film LAURENCE ANYWAYS which is set to shoot in 2011.  He will play a transexual and  Natalie Baye will play his mother.  These are two of France's biggest stars.


Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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http://www.towleroad.com/2011/02/movies-heartbeats-oscar-weekend.html#comments



Heartbeats
By NATHANIEL ROGERS
@nathanielr
The Film Experience
02/24/2011



Xavier Dolan, an out gay quintuple threat:
writer/director/actor/producer/wunderkind.



"The only truth is love beyond reason" goes the quote from French poet Alfred de Musset that opens Xavier Dolan's moody dreamy French Canadian film Heartbeats.  That sounds beautiful in theory, sure, but living it is messier. Immediately the film cuts to a funny frank series of talking head interviews from people who have been unlucky in love. One woman compares herself to Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction  and describes panicking at her computer, waiting for emails that never come.  "If somebody died every time I hit refresh, there'd be nobody left alive."

Poetic idealized notions of love clashing with humiliating darkly comic reality? It's a pretty apt way to introduce and describe this arguably slight but beautiful film in which best friends Marie (Monia Chokri) and Francis (Xavier Dolan) fall for angelic blond Nico (Niels Schneider) who they spot at a party. They feign disinterest for the other's benefit but they fall. Soon they're vying for his attention with gifts, sleepovers, and phonecalls. Is Nico interested in Marie or Francis? Both? Neither?





The casting works marvels: Dolan and Chokri, who are friends in real life, conjure deeply specific codependent-friends-who-irritate-each-other chemistry; Schneider plays Nico just blankly enough that it's easy to understand (or at least forgive) the mutual confusions. It's almost as if his golden curls absorb all fantasies and projections. To steal a phrase from Mean Girls...  'That's why his hair is so big. It's full of secrets!'

Some of their fantasies are visualized. At one point while Francis is eating his feelings, he imagines Nico serene under a shower of marshmallows. Viewers may that Dolan tricks up his movie too much: there are fantasy segments, color coded sex scenes, and a fondness for slo-mo that might even embarrass Wong Kar Wai. Even if Dolan's personal voice as a filmmaker is still forming (he's only 21) or a bit muffled by his inebriated declarations of love for the cinema, there's little doubt that he's gifted. One long slo-mo segment paired with the theatrically mournful pop classic "Bang Bang" features Marie and Francis over-primping, over-dressing, and tragically over-hoping for Nico's birthday party. Just as the slo-mo walking and fetishized color risks grating on your last nerve, Marie and Francis enter the party. Their song vanishes forced out by the party's own idea of a soundtrack: "Jump Around". This jarring transition from their drama queen headspace to the drunken messy reality of a party (delightfully bitchy) is both moving and funny if you're letting the movie's moods and observations about human behavior sink in. If you are, you can feign indifference all you want, but you'll fall. Bang Bang. The movie shoots you down.
"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Sheriff Roland

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Xavier Dolan - Laurence Anyways Wins at TIFF
« Reply #28 on: September 19, 2012, 08:01:36 am »
He (finally) did it again.

After subdued receptions at Cannes and other international film festivals and a disappointing run in Québec's theatres, Xavier Dolan's latest film Laurence Anyways was named the best Canadian film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) earlier this week. In making the anouncement, much praise was poured on the film (like Brokeback Mountain, it's a different kind of love story) and Dolan himself was remarkably humble and at-a-lost-for-words by the honour.

In the past two years, the winner of TIFF's best Canadian film (they're always the Québecois ones, doncha know) has gone on to be submitted as the Canadian entry in the Academy Awards' foreign fillm category, and in both cases they have ended up among the final five. This year, a different film Rebelle (War Witch), a story about a child soldier in an unnamed African country, will be Canada’s entry for a best foreign-language film Oscar. After the anoucement, Dolan tweeted "L'exception confirme la règle". (not exactly sure what he meant by that tweet)

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Xavier_Dolan_wins_TIFF_award-12539.aspx

Xavier Dolan wins TIFF award

Gay Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan may not have won a prize this year at Cannes, but his latest film, Laurence Anyways, was awarded Best Canadian Feature at the close of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Dolan recently spoke to Xtra about his disappointment that the film was not screened in a competitive category at Cannes.

Laurence Anyways is the story of a straight couple whose relationship is tested after Laurence, the male character, confesses to his girlfriend that he is trans.

Dolan chatted with Xtra on the TIFF red carpet. He said his character's transsexuality is a "secondary plot."

"I knew that my main focus would be love," says Dolan of the film, which clocks in at more than three hours.

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Offline Sason

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Re: Xavier Dolan - Wonderkin film maker
« Reply #29 on: September 19, 2012, 03:17:00 pm »
It got great reviews in my Swedish newspaper this weekend!

Düva pööp is a förce of natüre

Offline oilgun

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Re: Xavier Dolan - Wonderkin film maker
« Reply #30 on: September 19, 2012, 06:41:09 pm »
It got great reviews in my Swedish newspaper this weekend!

I enjoyed it, but like most critics, I thought it was about an hour too long.  It's one of those movies where you think it ends several times but it doesn't.  I was also disappointed that Louis Garrel had to leave the project. Still, great performances all around.