HEARTBEATS (LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES) New Auteurs

When best friends Marie and Francis befriend the boyishly handsome, self-possessed Nicolas, not only is the dynamic of their friendship upended, but their very identities are called into question. With infuriatingly mixed messages from Nicolas – is he straight or gay, just having fun or searching for a soul mate – and their individual desires and anxieties running riot, Marie and Francis enter into a frantic, all-consuming competition for his affection. By turns hilarious, touching and acerbic, Xavier Dolan’s second feature is utterly watchable, resonating with honesty and a sophisticated understanding of just how maddening infatuation can be. Lead performances by Monia Chokri, Niels Schneider and Dolan himself are virtually flawless the perfect vehicles for Dolan’s articulate and entertaining exploration of love, friendship and power Hip without being pretentious, stylized but plausible, at once satirical and sincere, HEARTBEATS further establishes Dolan as an undeniable talent and leaves his audience wondering what he’ll bring next.