Xavier Dolan Stops Cinema: Ranking His Movies From Least Liked To Most Appreciated… And There Are Surprises!

9. Tom on the farm – 3.5/5

April 2014. Just a few weeks before walking the red carpet to win the Jury Prize at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Xavier Dolan invites viewers to discover Tom à la Ferme at the cinema. The 4th work in the filmography of the 24-year-old filmmaker, it is an adaptation of the play of the same name by Michel Marc Bouchard.

Xavier Dolan stars as Tommy, a young man who has just arrived from Montreal to attend the funeral of Guillaume, his friend, who was killed in a car accident in Quebec. From meeting a mother marked by the recent death of her husband and son, and who knows nothing of the latter’s relationship with a man, to her violent and homophobic brother, Tom is captivated. A psychological and physical nightmare where lies must win.

Touching on themes of grief, homophobia, influence and Stockholm syndrome, Tom Farm is one of Xavier Dolan’s darkest films, but still light with scenes to watch and discuss. de mon coeur was taken by Kathleen Fortin: Eternal.

8. MATTHIAS & MAXIME – 3.5/5

Xavier Dolan’s latest feature Matthias & Maxime seems to be going back to the basics of the directorial world. John F. After filming with Donovan for Ma vie in English, he returned to Montreal, where he starred opposite Gabriel d’Almeida Freitas, alias Mathias, a cold businessman. In turn, he is Maxime, a shy and kind bartender.

These two best friends find themselves in a house near a lake, accompanied by a gang of friends, until a kiss between them changes everything. Presented in the Official Selection of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, this film, as dense as it is subtle, is as moving as it is disturbing, and focuses on impossible love with classics of the genre. Titanic fans (like Xavier Dolan) will also find the film beautifully appreciated.

7. My Life by John F. With Donovan – 3.6/5

After an uproar over several re-edits, which resulted in Jessica Chastain leaving the film, as well as missing out on the Palme d’Or competition at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Ma Life with John F. Donovan stars Kit Harington as John Francis Donovan, an American television star. 10 years after his death, the young actor gives an interview to a journalist to talk about their correspondence, which at that time was a fan of his idol.

2 Temporal Navigation, My Life by John F. With Donovan is about the mother/daughter relationship as well as nostalgia, childhood, fame or even what it means to be a fan. An unfairly shunned film that offers its share of flights as sublime as its soundtrack.

6. JUST THE END OF THE WORLD – 3.6/5

The main festival prize and the Ecumenical Jury Prize in Cannes 2016, César for Best Director, Best Editing and Best Actor for Gaspard Ulliel. Only the end of the world offers the late actor one of the most beautiful roles in cinema. Although reserved and fragile and yet so strong and resilient, she plays Louis, a writer who returns to see his family after 12 years to announce his death.

Everyone around the family table effortlessly plays the score, from the sensitive and uplifting mother Nathalie Baie to the angry brother Vincent Cassel, who goes out with shy sister-in-law Marion Cotillard and rebellious junior Léa Seydoux. Pure Xavier Dolan.

5. Imaginary Loves – 3.7/5

Monya Chokri walking down the street to the sound of Dalida’s Bang Band, raining marshmallows, Lolita-style red heart-shaped glasses worn by Nils Schneider, color filters, quotes from authors, rocking, a certain Louis Garrel appearance. A party… Les Amours imaginaires is all that and more.

The story of the love triangle between Frances, Marie and Nicolas, this 2nd film from Xavier Dolan captures everything we love about him, while managing to charm both the profession and the general public. The film, which was released in 2010 and which has not lost its charm, was awarded 3 prizes (in Namur, Sydney and Namur).

4. I Killed Mother – 3.8/5

Before Les Amours imaginaires was I Killed My Mother, Xavier Dolan’s first feature film, shot at age 20 and written at age 16. In the film, he faces Anna Dorval, who will later become his privileged film mother, the film tells the story of 16-year-old Hubert’s mother’s disdain.

Funded by SODEC, the film is already endowed with a very Dolanian aesthetic and hides cinematic and above all artistic references, from François Truffaut to Jackson Pollock via Matisse. A successful first work and a precursor to an equally brilliant sequel.

3. NIGHT LAURIER GAUDREAULT WAKEED UP – 4.2/5

Xavier Dolan’s latest work, The Night Laurier Gaudreault Woke Up, is also his first and only series and has already climbed to its best rating of 4.2/5 by AlloCiné viewers.

Also adapted from a play by Michel Marc Bouchard (as Tom on the farm), the 5 episodes will immerse us in the story of the LaRouche family, in search of the secrets that have haunted them for 30 years. A true public and critical success, this television and oh-so-cinematic object is the perfect summation of his directorial work, highlighting his extraordinary talent for intimate speech in universal themes.

Halfway between a thriller and an auteur that manages to grab us with cliffhangers and a sequence worthy of the big screen, The Night Laurie Gaudreau Woke Up is simply classic Dolan.

2. Lawrence still – 4.2/5

If there is one film that combines all of Xavier Dolan’s talents and almost single-handedly sums up why he is considered by many to be a cinematic marvel, this is it. Released in 2012 and bringing other actors to the fore for the first time, Laurence Iwayes takes us to the extraordinary love between Laurence (Melville Pupo) and Freddie (Susan Clement).

She is a teacher and at the dawn of her 30th birthday she realizes that she is a woman trapped in a man’s body and now she wants to live as a woman. If he decides to face the prejudices and the feelings are stronger than anything else, the couple will have a hard time surviving a 10-year battle in the face of society and suspicions. A feature film of rare strength, ahead of its time and one that we will never tire of watching and watching.

1. MOMMY – 4.4/5

It’s undoubtedly the film that launched Xavier Dolan’s career into the spotlight: Mother clearly ranks first among the most popular titles of the filmmaker’s career. Making a splash at Cannes in 2014 and representing Canada at the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film, the drama starring Anna Dorval, Suzanne Clement and Antoine Olivier Pilon has crossed the million mark in France.

Thanks to the recognizable 4/3 format among a thousand, it didn’t take long to create a frenzy and make those unfamiliar with Xavier Dolan want to see his other films and keep an eye on his work. The story is about a widow who takes care of her violent and impulsive son. The sudden help of the mysterious neighbor Kila gives these three a happy, but unfortunately short-lived, hope…

A film that makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you pick up your skateboard while listening to Oasis and sing Celine Dion’s “On ne change pas” out loud, in short, makes you live and vibrate like every piece. Xavier Dolan.