Laurence Anyways (2012)

In 1989, Laurence Alia celebrates his 30th birthday with Fred, his girlfriend and reveals his deepest desire: he wants to become a woman. After much trepidation, Fred agrees to accompany Laurence throughout the metamorphosis. Once it's complete, Laurence returns to his life as a woman, but despite what seems like a smooth transition, the weight of social stigma, family rejection and the incompatibility within the couple becomes ultimately too much to handle.

Dolan's third venture has absolutely lived up to it's reputation, gorgeous visuals, electrifying music, a moving story and talented actors, all equally setting fire to the screen. Laurence Anyways is a complex story narrated in the simplest way possible. "I want to be a woman"

The film starts at the beginning of Laurence (Melvil Poupaud) and Fred's (Suzanne Clément) relationship (89-90) when Laurence is a literature teacher. Their relationship is stable and they look very content until the day Laurence decides to share his secret with Fred, where begins the struggles in the couple.

In Laurence Anyways Dolan has taken an incredible amount of risk, pushing his limits (story-wise) Beautiful and powerful scenes in where Clément and Poupaud who gives to their characters a crazy amount of justice. Clément steals the show with her dazzling portrayal as Fred (perhaps her best act yet) Poupaud is marvellous as Laurence, we believe in his performance and have a lot of compassion for Laurence, for who she truly is. This film was meant to be for Suzanne, she embraces Fred in a way that is thoroughly believable and beautiful. Supported by an diverse supporting cast which includes Baye (who is absolutely at her right place as the confused and supportive mother) Chokri (hilariously precious as the sketchy and uptight friend) Jacques and Lépine-Blondeau were fantastic despite their little time on screen. At times this film felt like it was a piece of art, and this is where Dolan has matured, this is where we see his own film-making "style"

The nearly three hour-long movie passed by in a heartbeat, at the end we are left with beautiful visuals and images without leaving the heartfelt conclusion in the climax.

IMDB reviewer