Cannes is her second home. The child prodigy of the Croisette, Xavier Dolan presented his latest film: Matthias and Maxime . A love story between two childhood friends. Matthias, son-in-law ideal, and the lawyer promised to a beautiful career, and Maxim, played by Dolan himself. The two boys embraced each other when they were teenagers. A «kiss» for real» during a short film lover rekindles the flame. From there to capsize the heart of the critical…
«Matthias and Maxime sounds like a broken record,»
For his eighth film (of which six are selected in Cannes), the film maker of 30 years was expected at the turn. And the disappointment seems to be at the appointment. «Dolan begins to tire. Itself should feel the blow of fatigue. It turns too. After the missed My life with John F. Donovan , with the star of Game of Thrones Kit Harigton, the wonder is lost in a remix of his previous films (the slowed down and accelerated to the key). Matthias and Maxime sounds like a scratched record», is alarm Stephen Sorin for Le Figaro .
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Even the sound of a bell on the side of The Cross : «After starting sputtering, the discussions of the explosive a bunch of mates, in pure québécois for the invective the story gets bogged down in repetition of traditional themes and figures of speech that have, until now, the uniqueness of Xavier Dolan», analysis Jean-Claude Raspiengeas. For a part of the criticism, the last Dolan barely move, sounds wrong. The mayonnaise does more. For Hollywood Reporter «even if it is perhaps the work with the least abrasive of Dolan, it is also one of the least entertaining».
Tenderness and sweetness between «friends»
in contrast, Anne Dessuant of Telerama salutes, «a film of friends who is transformed into a moving romantic comedy». Véronique Cauhapé of the World sees it as a turning point in the career of the young filmmaker, author of Mommy and Just the end of the world . A moment of existence where it is necessary to make the point, where it is necessary to decide. The questions of a pivotal period, that the journalist found in Matthias and Maxime where to Dolan, «use of the image, framing, camera movements, and music as a partition silent put at the service of the emotions […] deploys this capacity he has of if well ask on a face, a exchange intimate, a moment of light that interlaced each other, are lives made of little things, of great upheaval and feelings».
» READ ALSO – My life with John F. Donovan : a star is dead
To Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian , the film Dolan «are more valuable, accessible and enjoyable because the feelings are more real and deep. There is such tenderness and sweetness in this film.» A depth of feelings that leaves Stephen to Sorin marble: «If one wanted to be nice, it looks like Matthias and Maxime seems like a bad scenario of Pedro Almodovar filmed by Denys Arcand. If one wanted to be nasty… We don’t want to be nasty.»
