Guelph Film Society

"Laurence Anyways flows naturally, both thematically and stylistically, from Dolan's previous movies; here, though, he succeeds more than ever at incorporating his visual idiosyncrasies into the narrative. In "I Killed My Mother" and even more so in "Heartbeats," the director's long slow-motion sequences and overbearing, eclectic soundtracks could feel like crutches, overused particularly during characters' moments of vulnerability." - Tomas Hachard (NPR)

"Even if the story grates in places, Laurence Anyways is perfectly enjoyable as an immersive orgy of pure sensory pleasure." - Stephen Dalton (The Hollywood Reporter)

"Dolan never flinches across this bold, brassy piece; it’s confidently directed, stylishly shot, passionately acted and evocatively scored." - James Mottram (Total Film)

"It's hard to survive loving someone and being yourself, your true self." - Xavier Dolan

[Steve]

LAURENCE ANYWAYS is a film about the desire for attaining authenticity, both how we feel and think internally, as well as how we present ourselves to the world around us.

I think what's so relatable about LAURENCE ANYWAYS is that we all have aspects of our selves that we've longed to explore, but were maybe too afraid to, or couldn't quite find the means or context within which to do so. Dolan & co. use LAURENCE as a metaphor that speaks to the human condition so well: trying to make the unlived life a reality, no matter the sacrifice.

Although the film is a love story centred around a transgender character, queer Quebecois writer/director Xavier Dolan has gone on record saying that he views the narrative more broadly as a universal love story that just so happens to include trans elements. The ever-evolving relationship between Fred and Laurence is the core of the story, in which both parties do their best to support the other through their unique journey, as rocky as things are in a world that's afraid to accept what they don't understand.

Something that I love about Dolan's work is how well he marries image and sound. Many scenes in each of his films come to life through montage and explosive music, capturing raw emotion and feeling, but without ever losing sight of the story he's telling. It's almost as if Dolan's films are many episodic music videos within a larger cohesive whole. I'm sure there are other filmmakers like him in this sense, but for me Dolan takes the crown as the greatest musical montage director out there; the scenes he crafts, along with the mis-en-scene, are so realized and bursting with exuberance.

LAURENCE ANYWAYS, for me anyway(s), is when Dolan found his footing as a director. His first two films, I KILLED MY MOTHER and HEARTBEATS both have their merits, but LAURENCE is where Dolan's signature style blossomed. I'm curious to see what you all think of LAURENCE, as well as two of his other films we'll watch/discuss this month.

Following LAURENCE, we'll continue with TOM AT THE FARM (2013) on June 14th, break for Father's Day weekend, and conclude the month with arguably his greatest film yet, MOMMY (2014) on June 28th.

Join us Sunday, June 7 at 10am at the Red Brick Cafe for the first discussion of Xavier Dolan month.

Ahoy folks! We'll be checking out FEMALE TROUBLE next week by the infamous pope of trash himself, John Waters. The screening is at the Princess Original on Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm.

Starring Divine, aka the most beautiful person in the world, FEMALE TROUBLE follows Dawn Davenport, a rebellious teen searching for a life of prominence and independence, which rather quickly leads to one of crime and depravity, all because she didn't get a pair of cha-cha heels for Christmas...

Back in 2021, I [Steve] paired FEMALE TROUBLE with MOMMY (2014) by Xavier Dolan for an "interesting" deep dive of motherhood as portrayed on-screen. Conveniently, we'll be revisiting MOMMY later this month, so FEMALE TROUBLE popping back up in the zeitgeist feels like a true moment of serendipity. Hopefully you can join us!

A description of the film from the Princess' website:

"A spoiled schoolgirl runs away from home, gets pregnant while hitch-hiking, and ends up as a fashion model for a pair of beauticians who like to photograph women committing crimes.

Teenage delinquent Dawn Davenport, incensed after her parents do not give her the cha-cha heels she wanted for Christmas, runs away from home. After an illegitimate child and hairstylist husband bring her more misery, she’s enticed into a life of crime when the owners of her husband’s salon promise her fame and fortune."

"It’s taut, creepy, compelling and sexy. And, apart from the location, it’s very much a Dolan film, focused on people testing the limits of their love for each other – and themselves." - Ben Walters (Time Out London)

"Starring in, directing and writing (in collaboration with Michel Marc Bouchard, on whose play it's based) a movie at Dolan's tender age is certainly a Wellesian accomplishment. All three actors are convincing, especially Cardinal as the cruel, manipulative Francis, and their characters' behavior feels authentic even when it's not logical." - Marc Mohan (Portland Oregonian)

"Made of equal parts mourning and melancholy, mystery, and possibly madness, the striking Tom at the Farm showcases Dolan’s abundant talents at turning seemingly simple material into a taut, tough film." - James Rocchi (The Wrap)

[Steve]

ahoy folks, welcome to the second discussion of Xavier Dolan month. this week, we'll explore what some critics have dubbed the "anti-Dolan" adaptation called TOM AT THE FARM (2013).

while it certainly does feel like a departure stylistically from Dolan's previous three films (including last week's hyper-expressive LAURENCE ANYWAYS), there are still plenty of Dolan's signature markings present in TOM, albeit in a slightly different presentation.

Dolan utilizes repetition in framing, returning to several locations throughout the film (most notably the kitchen table as a prominent meeting place, among others). using repetition helps create a sense of cohesion and order amidst the chaos of his characters' internal worlds, the latter of which Dolan communicates effectively even without using storytelling devices such as exposition or narration.

Dolan's use of music as a driving force is still ever-present, however in TOM, a traditional film score is used over upbeat songs. there's much less of a "music video" vibe here, which in the case of TOM, works in the narrative's favour. this decision to use a traditional score makes more sense since Dolan is going for a slick psychosexual thriller this time around, similar to the stylings of such greats as Hitchcock and Welles. Dolan proves himself to be capable of dabbling in genre filmmaking, which is a daring choice given how bold and expressive his previous work is. there's a sense of blankness to TOM AT THE FARM, an emptiness that never really dissipates, even up until the ending of the film.

while i won't spoil anything directly, Dolan continues to experiment with aspect ratio and framing like he did in LAURENCE ANYWAYS (as you will come to learn by the end of the month, this is one of the signature marks of Dolan as an auteur).

join us on Sunday, June 14 at 10am at the Red Brick Cafe for part deux of Xavier Dolan month.