Mubi Monday: Matthias & Maxime (2019)

Xavier Dolan is sickeningly talented for someone so young. Seriously. I have now seen a fair number of his movies. They may not all be outright winners, but they are very impressive for someone who looks to be about twenty years old.

Matthias & Maxime is all about friendship, but it is a very different look at the strong bonds that form between close friends. This may not be in the same ballpark as something like Chuck & Buck, but it is certainly close enough to hear the crowd roar and smell the aroma of the various snacks.

Gabriel D' Almeida Freitas is Matthias, best friend of Maxime (Dolan). Maxime has various struggles. He has gone through life with a large birthmark on his face, is constantly battling against the will of his ill mother (Anne Dorval), and generally doesn't seem to have things as sorted and balanced as Matthias. All of that changes when the two young men agree to star in a short film, and end up in a scene where they share a kiss.

Brilliantly handled by Dolan, who is once again writing, directing, AND starring in his work, Matthias & Maxime moves from one exploration of friendship and love to the next, whether it is the ramifications of the kiss, the arguments that Maxime has with his mother, or just the different dynamics that come about when our two leads are in the company of others, sometimes while settled and sometimes while wanting to bring underlying tension to the surface.

Both Dolan and Freitas do very well in their roles, each one going on a different, but no less emotionally turbulent, journey. Freitas has the moments that could make him harder to like, but the script always tries to give an idea of bad behaviour stemming from confusion and/or pain. Dorval makes a very strong impression in her few scenes, highlighting another way in which loved ones can hurt one another. There are others in the cast, all doing good work, but this central trio do most of the lifting of the material.

Another excellent film from Dolan, who has already created a body of work more impressive and mature than many who have decades of experience ahead of him, this should please fans of his work. And anyone new to his filmography could easily start here and figure out if they want to see more of his stuff.

8/10

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