Heartbeats (2010)

Director: Xavier Dolan

 This is really a minor film that gains most of its memorability due to the sleek and sensual filmmaking on display. The film is about two friends, one male and one female, who both fall in love with the same man. It's a predictable story with not a lot going on, but the story becomes involving and gains emotion due to Xavier Dolan's lush photography, slow motion scenes, and sumptuous colors. The movie also uses talking heads that talk about their experiences with love, and when you combine those with the story of the film it helps the film speak to the power of love. Love is one of those emotions that can overpower an individual to the point where it takes over their whole mind and body, it's an emotion that has a real hold over people, and the film speaks to that power.

In the film we see love threaten to destroy a very close friendship, and this ends up being the case even when that love is over something that doesn't give any love back. Even unrequited love has an immense power over people in a way that really makes no sense, but there is no rationality in love. The story of the film is limited and I never really thought about the plot at all in this film, but Dolan still manages to get these sentiments about love across. I greatly enjoyed and admire this film, but I would recommend the filmmaker as one to watch more than I would recommend the film. Dolan is certainly a filmmaker who has big things ahead of him (he was amazingly only 22 when he made this film) and I will be keeping a very close eye on his promising future.

Grade: B+