Laurence Anyways

This is one of the most impressed movies that I've ever seen. This movie is about a couple, Laurence and Fred, who love each other and have been together for long time. One day, Laurence opens his heart to her that he wants to be woman. Fred confuses and thinks about their future. Then, Fred decides she becomes Laurence's best friend and she teaches him how to make up, but they are troubled by prejudices of the society. Also, the mood of this movie and camera-work are fresh. Many colors are used and music invites us into story, so we can't be bored in spite of complex story. The director of this movie, Xavier Dolan, became my favorite one after I watched this movie, and this is the most favorite one of his movies. Therefore, I want everyone to see this. I recommend very much, but you will be tired a little because you are dragged very much.

this film is one of the most breathtakingly stunning films i've seen in years. it is remarkable not only in its challenging subject matter, its ability to convey true, raw, complex human emotions and relationships, but also its painfully beautiful cinematography and artistic skill. it puts you inside the heads and minds of its truly human characters, the way it was filmed....amazing. it is one of those films that defies expectations, is multi-dimensional, is funny and heartbreaking...

i was riveted at every single moment, unable to tear my eyes away from the film...i needed to go to the bathroom early on in the movie, and yet sat through two more hours of agonizing bladder suffering because my mind was unwilling to let me tear myself from the screen. and afterwards, my friends and i were all shaking from the film. we couldn't stop talking about it.

watch laurence, anyways. it'll change your life.

My review is not gonna be long. It will not contain spoilers, either. I made an account on IMDb only to rate this movie and to write a short review, letting people know my opinion, so hopefully even more people will watch this movie.

The acting, the scenes, the music - everything was for me completely breathtaking. Yes, its a long movie - but it's not just a movie, or one story out of an entire life - it's LIFE, it's several chapters. Of course it's long... it has to be. I, myself, wanted to keep watching when it was over. Because it wasn't over. The story hadn't finished. There was more. This is not a movie to entertain people. This is real life, real characters... no bullshit... Many scenes, changing times, development of the different characters... Love, pain, laughter, sorrow. I enjoyed EVERY bit. I never write reviews on anything - this is my first one I ever made on a movie, book, etc... I just finished watching it, and it had me sitting on my sofa with tears streaming down my face.

Even though this movie is about a man who has the wish to become a woman, and even though the couple's struggle kind of revolves around that, I could identify so much with some of the things they go through together. It doesn't matter whether he is a transvestite or not... It reflects very familiar feelings, and I believe that people who have loved deeply, who have loved hard and fiercely, they will recognize these feelings too. And no matter what, this is a great movie to educate people with potential prejudice against transsexual men or women.

I hope that more people will watch it.

Great performance... left me with a feeling of joy and sadness, all in once. I really, really loved this movie. And I will be watching it again, no doubt...

Thank you for that.

There's quite an amazing singular force that propels the film forward, but in my view there are just too many bells and whistles to distract us from going deeper into the psyches of the characters and the heart of the subject matter. These distractions - stylized images and accompanying melodies - make the film feel more like a music video. The borrowed songs/pieces already have a life on its own, so sometimes they feel like an easy way out to build up emotions/expectations. I know overstimulation is sometimes part of the "style", but perhaps Dolan should sometimes trust that the acting, pacing, environment and diegetic sounds alone can carry a scene, pom-poms are not always necessary.

Dolan was very young when he directed this, and the overambition shows.

With this film, Xavier Dolan confirms his excellent style. The starring is incredibly well-chosen (distinction for the actress). A photography without mistake, there are numbers of beautiful shots. And too a good soundtrack, that is very eclectic (french's or qubecois's songs, classical's songs as Brahm or Bethoveen, or rock ballads), and first and foremost an original screenplay. In fact, I found the plot very interesting because I don't know film about the transsexualism. For a discovery, we can't dream a better movie.

So, check out his film (Les amours imaginaires, J'ai tué ma mère are too to discover).

A young film maker watch this space. The Quebecois's cinema too.