As Xavier Dolan prepares to return with his first series, Netflix is offering three of his films: “Laurence Anyways”, “Mommy” and “Just the end of the world”. To (re)discover urgently.
Xavier Dolan has not yet said his last word. If he recently announced a break in his career, the director returns, at the end of January, in front of and behind the camera with his first series, The Night where Laurier Gaudreault woke up, expected at the end of January on Canal +. On the program: a dark and ambitious family thriller divided into 5 episodes.
To better prepare for its return, Netflix is offering, from December 31, three of its greatest films: Laurence Anyways (2012), Mommy (2014) and Only the end of the world (2016).
Although they are very different, these three feature films have allowed the Quebecer to establish himself as a major figure on the international cinema scene. For Mommy, he becomes one of the youngest winners of the Cannes Film Festival by winning the jury prize at only 25 years old.
Two years later, he did it again and won the Grand Prix with Just the End of the World. Dubbed by his peers, Xavier Dolan is also by the public. When they were released, these two films each garnered more than a million admissions. A great feat for works classified as art and essay.
What is Laurence Anyways talking about?
In 2012, Xavier Dolan directed his third film, Laurence Anyways. It tells the story of Laurence Alia (Melvil Poupaud), a Montreal professor, who undertakes a transition to become who he has always been.
With great delicacy and great artistic ambition, the director takes an interest in the subject of transidentity. At the heart of this story, there are above all two characters united by love and who will gradually tear each other apart. This dense, epic and romantic film remains, even today, one of the most mature works of the filmmaker’s career.
What is Mommy talking about?
After the thriller Tom à la ferme, Xavier Dolan returns to one of his favorite subjects, mother-son relationships, in Mommy. This drama follows the struggle of Diane (Anne Dorval), a widowed and unemployed mother, who tries to move forward with her son, Steve (Antoine Olivier-Pilon), suffering from behavioral problems.
Like all of Xavier Dolan’s other films, Mommy highlights heroes cast out of society in search of freedom and happiness. The director plays with the setting, creates already emblematic scenes and sublimates the talent of his three actors: Anne Dorval, Antoine Olivier-Pilon and Suzanne Clément.
What is Just the End of the World about?
For the first time, Xavier Dolan surrounds himself with an entirely French cast to bring Jean-Luc Lagarce’s play to the big screen. It follows the return of Louis (Gaspard Ulliel) who returns to his family after years of absence to announce his coming death.
The film is anxiety-provoking, tragic and of great emotional power. The late Gaspard Ulliel finds there one of his best roles – rewarded by a César – alongside Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux and Nathalie Baye.
These three films are available on Netflix.