“Laurence” Always

     One of the best filmmakers in the world right now is Xavier Dolan. The 24-year-old Québécois artist has seen his first three features premiere at the Cannes film festival, with I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats, and, now, Laurence Anyways (a fourth film, the rural thriller Tom at the Farm is on schedule to be released next year). His films are chock-full of passion and indiscriminate flair, bold color choices; Dolan is not afraid to edge on the garish. The way in which he utilizes music is one of the most intriguing I have come across. Essentially, Dolan drops little music video-esque sequences into his films – setting aside little moments of vivacious emotional resonance for the characters, where they are led along by an exquisitely chosen pop tune of yesteryear.  Dolan, for all of his talents, perhaps has one of the best ears of any current young filmmaker, as his skills as a needle-dropper are perhaps second to none, using deep cuts from The Cure and Craig Armstrong to dazzling effect. (Seriously, who would think to score an exuberant club scene to “The Funeral Party” – that’s the magic of Dolan). 

     The idea of such a diverse filmography at such a young age has, in my eyes, caused many to look past the innate quality of his works, always relegating him to the status of a child director (a Aisin-Gioro Puyi of the film world). The worlds Dolan creates are those of fierce emotions, of break-neck subjectivity, where the emotions of the characters rip out of their flesh and decorate the surrounding environs. Big visuals, big passion, and big music. In the hands of a less skilled artisan, the dense aesthetic canopy of his works would be meaningless posture, a cry out for attention. But for Dolan, these aesthetic choices are rooted in the classic melodrama tradition. He is carrying on the spirit of artists such as Douglas Sirk or Rainer Werner Fassbinder, bending the frame into a sterling reflection of the interior.  His films are not a mirror, as one would see life as they peer through a window, of “real” life, but of the soul.
     His third feature “Laurence Anyways” is one of gargantuan scope, a “period piece” of the 1990’s, spanning a decade in the life of Laurence, a wondrous Melvil Poupaud (valiantly stepping in for the originally cast Louis Garrel), a high school teacher in a loving relationship who decides early on that the life he has been living has been a lie, and goes about his transformation into a woman. Now, with a premise such as this, one might think of pictures such as “Transamerica” or other such nonentities that sanctimoniously “explore” the issue of transexuality from a distance, acting as glorified (though well-intentioned) Saturday morning specials on the topic, often containing all the depth of a particularly sad bowl of Wheat Thins. But instead of isolating the issue and viewing the subject as a lab rat, Dolan makes the decision to not focus on the issue of transexuality itself, and rather just chronicle how the change effects the main couples relationship, which, ironically, gives a fuller and more natural depiction of the issue than if he just treated the issue as if it was under glass.
     The main relationship between Fred (a genuine, no-nonsense star-making turn – seriously, she’s utterly fantastic) and Laurence is utterly enticing and potent, as the transexuality that comes into play could stand for any of the roadblocks that tend to prey on those who love. It explores the minute alterations and shifts relationships take when faced with challenges. On a metaphorical level, it could stand in for how we see our friends and loved ones change in distinct yet subtle ways until we are not sure that the person we once knew is even relating to this new incarnation. The story, rather than just its epic length (a rewarding yet draining 168 minutes), has the depth that the description as a simple “love story” description cannot provide. It does not treat transgender as taboo, but simply as another element in the character’s life story. The trials and tribulations are heavy and rock their formerly solid standing, but their true love for each other always shines through.

     When Laurence and Fred finally say goodbye for good, Dolan projects a maturity far beyond his years, staging it not as banal tragedy, but instead as a moment of self-discovery. They will always love one another deeply, but they both realize that they are on separate tracks that will never converge again. So, with no words between them, they exit separate doors of the cafe. Nature itself (through wind, and a torrent of leaves) greets them warmly when they exit, a metaphysical friendly hand on their shoulders, letting them know they are going to be alright. A moment of emotional transcendence rendered perfectly on screen.

     Dolan, ever the romantic, flashes backwards to when they first met on a movie set. The tone is not one of lost love (no echoes of tragedy here), but of love experienced, and fondly remembered. What matters is that they had it at all.                                               

     You thought Steven Soderbergh was the ultimate DIY filmmaker?  Dolan’s got him beat, acting as director, writer, editor, executive producer, and costume designer on all of his films. His works drip with his enlivened fingertips, each an exquisitely crafted work of an auteur on the rise. His cinema has the high-wire passion of an early Truffaut, and the assured visual vernacular of Pedro Almodóvar. Yet, his cinema (especially "Laurence") feels singular and distinct, working on a plane all his own. How many filmmakers do you know that shoot their features in Academy ratio? Dolan feels fully-formed, dropped from the heavens to show filmmakers just how banal they have become. His cinema excites me for the future of film.
     Dolan is in love with the outsider – whether a teen who is disenfranchised, a third wheel of a love triangle, or the titular Laurence, Dolan is obsessed with those on the outskirts: the dreamers, the outcasts, the rebels. He is the best director you haven't heard of (yet).