Matthias & Maxime

Xavier Dolan has yet to make a better film than 2014's Mommy, but he comes close with Matthias & Maxime. Shot in his hometown of Quebec, it follows quiet 20-something Max (Dolan), who's preparing to leave Canada to spend two years working in Australia. However, when he agrees to shoot a scene for a short film in which he kisses his childhood best friend Matt (Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas, exceptional), the incident stirs up intense feelings between the pair, which they attempt to reconcile before Max departs. At once sunny, theatrical, and scrappily dynamic, Matthias & Maxime bears all the hallmarks of a Xavier Dolan film. Mother issues, rich visuals, emotional complexity and perfect song choices all feature, and they mostly work, particularly during a powerfully romantic scene set against a broken bay window. However, this is definitely Dolan back on safe ground after the troubled production of his first English-language feature, The Death and Life of John F Donovan. While the film may not stand out from his previous work, it proves an engaging, spirited tale of love and friendship that unashamedly wears its heart on its sleeve, and Harris Dickinson steals the show as a fantastically cocksure rich kid.