Matthias and Maxime

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As a HUGE Xavier Dolan fan, with Mommy being one of my favourite films of all time, I was super excited when Mubi added his latest release, Matthias and Maxime, to their feed.

Dolan stars, writes and directs Matthias and Maxime (2019), a film  about two childhood best friends, Matthias (Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas) and Maxime (Dolan), who are asked to kiss for a student short film which rekindles suppressed feelings.

The film starts slow, not a quick acting romance story, but a slow burn which is at sometimes painful and frustrating, but it is more realistic and tender than the typical romantic flick. While slow, the payoff is worth it in the final act which provides an invigorating finish after a film that was previously filled with pent up emotions from both Matthias and Maxime.



The film is clique at points and features some eye roll worthy tropes that are over done in some films, but Dolan translated them uniquely in his own style, making the tropes feel less tiresome and somewhat endearing. It’s beautifully shot, as typical for a Dolan film whose aesthetic choices always blow me away. With a mix of montages and changing aspect ratios it felt like Dolan was working to remind us why we fell in love with him in the first place.

Overall, Matthias and Maxime is a tender, affectionate and authentic narration of a childhood friendship transforming into something more. A must watch, especially for fans of Dolan, as the film features everything that makes his films so original and distinctive.

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