Struggling journalist Diane DesprĆ©s (Anne Dorval) picks up her teenage son (Antoine Olivier Pilon) from an institution, planning a new life for herself and her violent, ADHD-stricken boy. Lauded by most critics, this film uses its quaint aspect ratio to force the audience to share its charactersā chaotic, rebellious and desperate lives. The effect is claustrophobic and exhausting, even if it gives the director a chance to illustrate what life āoutside the frameā would look like; thereās a touching fantasy sequence near the end. Uneven characterizations (especially that neighbor), but the acting is top-notch.
2014-Canada. 138 min. Color. Written, directed and edited byĀ Xavier Dolan. Cast: Anne Dorval (Diane āDieā DesprĆ©s), Antoine Olivier Pilon (Steve DesprĆ©s), Suzanne ClĆ©ment (Kyla), Alexandre Goyette, Patrick Huard.
Cannes: Jury Prize.
