Matthias & Maxime

In his (so far) last film, Xavier Dolan addresses similar themes as in his previous films, and yet Matthias & Maxime does not feel like a mere rip-off and recycling of already used motifs. The first half of the film has a more leisurely pace, with Dolan "mercilessly" robbing the viewer of that kiss, only to then continue playing with us and trying to stretch our expectations. A lot of the characters in the film shout (too much), and I found the music used during some scenes a bit out of place, yet I enjoyed the screening. Whether it was through the tense scenes with the mother, in which Dolan's "court mother" Anne Dorval shines, or during the confrontations between Max and Matt, which ranged from angry ignorance to tender sensuality. Three and three-quarters stars! (10/01/2021)

I like Xavier Dolan's work a lot, but Matthias and Maxime didn't quite do it for me. The whole thing is too chatty and basically all about nothing. And isn't wasn’t much of a revelation either. I was intrigued, however, by Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas' portrayal of Matt. Not only does he look good, but he clearly has a strong acting ability. A several-minute scene charged with erotic sparks between Freitas and Dolan is certainly one of the highlights of this movie. (65%) (07/08/2022)