The prolific young Canadian director Xavier Dolan (Mommy, It’s Only the End of the World) also takes a lead role in this tender gay drama about two friends from childhood, Max and Matt (played by Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas), whose passion for each other is reignited by a playful kiss for a dare. As a result, both men question their sexual identities.
Matthias and Maxime is a dazzling and intricate slice of French-Canadian life. Accessible and heartfelt, and full of perfect attention to detail, it is one of Dolan’s best films yet.
Stars 5/5
This review was first published in The Daily Mirror on 28/08/20