English Title: Heartbeats
Original Title: Les amours imaginaires
Year: 2010
Country: Canada
Language: French
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director: Xavier Dolan
Writer: Xavier Dolan
Cast:
Monia Chokri
Niels Schneider
Xavier Dolan
Anne Dorval
Rating: 5/10

As the second feature from the promising young Canadian director-writer-actor Xavier Dolan, after his remarkable debut I KILLED MY MOTHER (2009), in order not to be a flash in the pan, Dolan chooses to narrow his objects into an illusionary love triangle which concentrates a gay boy and his best girlfriend both fall for a blonde boy (doesn’t sound like a triangle, yup!). My personal feeling is that while the story loses its complexity, the film itself also is shoehorned with stylistic slow motions and jumping close-ups of the camera, which are way too replete.

Also the over-abuse of Bach’s music, Dalida’s interpretation of the Italian version of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and bold imitations of Andy Warhol all make the film unique in a negative way, commonly I cannot resist the wallop from accumulation of different colorful palette, but in this case, it just doesn’t work for me, the alternate interviews doesn’t help at all (maybe all because it is French).

The cast is ok, slightly annoying I must say, especially Monia and Niels, very difficult to be likesome, maybe Dolan did it willfully.

The film is much more experimental than Dolan’s debut film, it seems that he try to challenge his audience’s tolerance, as for me, I feel a bit disappointed, but I still hold expectations for his next work as we know, youth is one’s most precious capital, hope he will take good advantage of it and reach the true auteurism. I sincerely hope it will not be my wishful thinking.