Matthias & Maxime

"[Dolan's] movies, for me, have become increasingly watchable, accessible and enjoyable because the feelings involved are increasingly real and deeply felt. There is such tenderness and gentleness in this film. (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)" 

"On occasion, the sincerity and unabashed emotion can be bracing, but more often (...) [Dolan] overestimates how compelling his protagonists’ plight is (...) Unfortunately, neither character is defined much beyond his angst" 

"Dolan's bittersweet study of male friendship (and maybe more) finds him on restrained, charming form (...) it feels at once younger and older, sweeter and more seasoned, than [his] last few films." 

"The final impression is of a movie miming an emotion that’s never actually felt (...) The mysteries of male desire may indeed be profound; 'Matthias & Maxime', alas, doesn’t do much to bring us closer to solving them." 

"[Dolan's] most grown-up movie to date (...) A touching but imbalanced drama (...) [His] focus continues to waver even as his emotional sensitivity is sharper than ever" 

"In many ways feels like a return to the sweet spot he hit so often in his earlier films (...) It reaffirms a distinctive cinematic voice who might be going back to his greatest hits, but has brought something new to them." 

"Much of this film is pedestrian to the extreme, and there is a general lack of character development across the board, but the way Dolan chooses to frame things, the visual choices he makes, the way he revels unashamed in the big-ness of the emotions, makes it an entertaining ride (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"