Heartbeats

This is a great little film but you have to be a little patient. The writer/director and star, Xavier Dolan, has done a masterful job in telling a simple story in a very interesting way. The writing is restrained and a study in the economy of words. I loved it. Dolan's directing is seasoned and insightful. He stages his scenes with lots of color and creative camera angles to amazing effect whether it's the color of an umbrella on a rainy day, a dress, or common inventory on a store shelf. It is visually stunning and stylish. Between Dolan and the other two leads played by Monia Chokri and Niels Schneider, you have a powerfully subtle ensemble. I wasn't so sure about Schneider until near the end when I realized how aloof his "NIko" had to be in order for the film to work at the end. He looks like he stepped off of a Greek coin, and at first you get the impression he's just there to look pretty. Not so. Dolan and Chokri give outstanding performances as best friends, who are not exactly single, but eschew the real people in their lives for the imaginary one they dream to snag. This is not a movie to be over analyzed. Just watch it and enjoy. There's a false ending that is adorable. The real ending, about five minutes later, just made me laugh out loud. If you like good films and enjoy watching boundless creativity on display, watch this one. It might be criticized by some for being "slow". It's not. It real.