LAURENCE ANYWAYS (2012) by Xavier Dolan

"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.

You can stream LAURENCE ANYWAYS on Netflix and Crave, as well as rent it on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. There's also one DVD copy available at the Guelph Public Library. You can also watch it for free here: https://fsharetv.cc/w/laurence-anyways-episode-1-tt1650048

As always, happy watching! 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇨🇦 🏳️‍🌈