In the ’90s, Laurence tells Fred that she identifies as a woman. Over ten years, in spite of the odds, in spite of each other, the couple confront the prejudices of their friends, ignore the council of their families, and brave the bigotry of the society they offend.

Circling gender and romance, Xavier Dolan’s prodigious third film views the complex journey of transition through the vibrant and baroque lens of melodrama. Jumping freely between different timelines, Laurence Anyways beautifully articulates the kaleidoscopic and nonlinear nature of self-discovery.