This film might actually be my very favorite. The way it's shot (sublime, vaguely vintage-like, rather grainy and somewhat distant character-wise) is what corresponds to my aesthetic exactly. I love the trope of the return to nature combined with the numbness of grief, that ultimately shape the optimal setting for a psychological thriller such as this. Violent, psycho-sexually-oriented and intense, this film tells the story of a young man who mourns the loss of his lover and finds himself both physically and mentally trapped in his partner's birthplace, a farm, the residents of which deny the sexuality of their deceased loved one. Numbed by grief and entrapped in his lies he falls victim to his lover's older brother's abuse, which he's unable to escape, as the mother's imperious, all-seeing shadow watches it all unfold yet still allows it to happen.
This film is a piece of art. The well-paced storyline, engaging and intense as it is, the excellent rendition on behalf of all the actors alike, the stunning photography, and the melancholic setting captured so beautifully, make up a powerful psychological thriller that you can't completely get off of your mind. Xavier Dolan's best picture, in my opinion.
This film is a piece of art. The well-paced storyline, engaging and intense as it is, the excellent rendition on behalf of all the actors alike, the stunning photography, and the melancholic setting captured so beautifully, make up a powerful psychological thriller that you can't completely get off of your mind. Xavier Dolan's best picture, in my opinion.