Heartbeats (2010) User Reviews (51)

It's not love, but that's the point

[wickest · 7/10 · 18 September 2010]

I agree with another reviewer that love is not the real subject of the film. The characters think they're feeling love, and they're certainly looking for love, but in such a shallow and conniving way they're incapable of getting beyond mere sensuality at best. This is a film which starts out superficially, as superficial as its characters. Their lack of depth is underlined by the interviews of more interesting people that we would almost rather be following, but we're stuck with this trio of narcissists trying to impress each other through attitude, clothes, and money-- each locked within his competitive self and each masturbating in his or her own way. The director's own vanity fits in perfectly with his fetishist approach, the Wong Kar Wai-like sensual slow-motion to heighten gesture and make us take a long hard look at these high-strung game players.

The viewer must be patient and wait for the second part when the film, in dealing with the repercussions from the narcissism of the first part, takes on depth. It is during the last twenty minutes that the actor/director succeeds in dealing with real emotions, not the imitation ones of the first half. Now a new tension sets in that builds to its vociferous climax where the actors are required to go beyond what they have demonstrated up to this point. Watching these neurotic Montréalians (when they finally grow up, they can be the manic-depressive characters in a Denys Arcand film), the viewer goes through the gamut of his or her own memories of attraction and rejection, bouncing around like the ping-pong balls that the expressive actors represent in their own attraction/flirtation/appeasement fluctuations. In fact, the more the film is watched with introspection, the more relevant it becomes.

Making pain sweet

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 11 June 2013]

'Heartbeats' is a fun little film, a sort of Gallic rom-com, although don't expect the obligatory happy-ending where the two protagonists rejected in love hook up with each other. A simple story of unrequited love and ordinary obsessiveness, the film cuts to the chase in spite of its good looking characters and chic vibe: we're not all equally attractive, and we don't love another in equal amounts. The rejecter in this story doesn't even do anything particularly wrong, except treat others with a combination of openness and carelessness that is surely only natural when blessed with a certain type of good looks. The film's resolution of his hitherto ambiguous sexuality is clever, and the film as a whole is brilliantly orchestrated with a collection of popular songs, from different eras, each of which nonetheless is particularly chosen to fit a certain mood and to complement the images on screen at that time. Oddly, in spite of the emotional pain its characters are in, this film is a stylised paean to being young, beautiful and in love: the fact that it hurts only makes it sweeter.

Xavier Dolan is a promising young film-maker

[winterhaze13 · 8/10 · 24 October 2010]

21-year-old Xavier Dolan is fast becoming the star of Canadian cinema. The Quebec prodigy stormed on to the international scene with his debut J'ai tué ma mere (I killed My Mother) winning three awards at Cannes last year.

His follow-up is Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats in English) and centres on a three-way love triangle. Dolan himself plays Francis, a gay Montrealer who becomes infatuated with a young socialite named Nicolas, played by Niels Schneider. Instantaneously, Francis' close friend Marie, played by Monia Chokri develops feelings of her own for Nicolas.

As the tumultuousness of love for Nicolas deepens for the two of them their close friendship begins to suffer. The two friends become embroiled in a struggle to please Nicolas who appears to represent Dolan's own ideal.

The theme of idealization is explored notably in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Thomas Mann's Death in Venice which was made into a film by Luchino Visconti. There is a scene at a party where Marie envisions Michalangelo's David, the artist' own physical ideal when staring admirably at Nicolas.

Romantic obsession begins to take hold of the two friends as they vie for the affection of someone who will never return their love. Like in I killed My Mother, his follow up is about Dolan's struggling with his own homosexuality. The film is also a meditation on the senselessness of love and why its own madness is what makes it so appealing.

Dolan is undoubtedly a big talent. Monia Chokri who plays the muse of the film shines the brightest in front of the camera. Her archaic hairstyle and fashion sense would remind anyone familiar with French actress Anna Karina. And that provides a clue in who Dolan draws his cinematic inspiration from.

Three-way conflicts were a hallmark of Jean-Luc Godard and other new wave directors like Francois Truffaut. Dolan may have drawn his inspiration from Truffaut's own Jules and Jim. But Les Amours Imaginaires has many more references to Godard's early work.

Everything down to the scene settings, cultural references and camera shots are deliberately taken from Godard's early classics such as Breathless and Band of Outsiders. The characters too represent the remnants of the 1960s-style cultural rebellion that Godard's films often explored which still thrives in Montreal today.

One final stylistic note, the film also includes a roundtable of characters not related to the main story discussing relationships. Dolan manages to make it relevant to the story and continues the tradition set by Godard in Masculine Feminine. The third sequence however does run a bit too long.

Les Amours Imaginaires is already out on DVD in Canada. It will be released in theatres in the United States on February 1, 2011 so look out for it.

Drags...

[Red_Identity · 15 March 2015]

The thing is this, despite having a relatively short screen time, the film still manages to feel like it's spinning in the same wheels for most of its runtime. The actors are fine (although Dolan's starting to show his limitations as an actor and perhaps he should cast others, something that he wisely did for Mommy). The film seems to feel like it's mostly just style and no real substance. There could've been a rather normal love triangle film in here somewhere, and yet Dolan doesn't even really want to do that. I'm not even sure what he really wanted to do, either way. Easily his weakest film and not one I'd recommend. There's simply nothing original here to recommend, certainly not in terms of theme.

Is Dolan really very talented or just very self-indulgent ..... or both ?

[xeress-860-762057 · 6/10 · 26 December 2013]

On the whole, I enjoyed many moments of 'Heartbeats' ('Les Amours Imaginaires'), and I disliked many others -- such as the self-indulgence of the filmmaker/actor, in obviously relishing at showing to the camera his face (too elongated chin and very long teeth ?), his hands (with rather very unkempt nails). His very short stature may be fine, for now (when he's boyishly young), but later.….. ? I have the impression that he is unable to watch the 'rushes' of what he films with much objectivity. And all these slow-motioned scenes ….often boring, I thought. About the songs he uses in the background: they often 'reflect' or even 'explain' some situations, but when used in these ways, are they WELL used -- I mean a movie's script and acting should be self-sufficient. Sure, music can set a mood, even amplify it -- but rarely more -- in very good movies. Anyway, Dolan may well be a genius: only the future will confirm or infirm this. Good luck to him -- at the very least for his determination to express himself and his apparent total lack of self-consciousness. As someone noted, 'The Innocents' almost dealt with the very same subject -- but in my humble opinion, to much better results. And Dolan knows it very well, since he has the 'honesty' of having one of the young men of Bertolucci's movie appear in the very last scene -- hinting that the pattern is set and about to start, all over again -- for the two main characters, played by Miss Monia Chokri and Dolan himself. Very good point and so accurate about infatuation : do we ever really learn from our past mistakes – when our UNHEALED emotions are concerned ?

Zany and fun, hymn to clueless yet flaming creatures

[oOgiandujaOo_and_Eddy_Merckx · 10/10 · 26 October 2010]

Young director Xavier Dolan's most recent feature was easily the find of the London Film Festival for me. Funnily enough I almost walked out, having come from an extremely dour realist movie (Mike Leigh's Another Year) and been presented with an extremely stylised and fairly ironic confection, and thus being quite dysphoric and skeptical. But it really blossomed out to superb effect. Some critical horses have baulked at the first fence though! The film concerns young love. The two leads of the story are both searching for perfect love and attempting to create the perfect personas to market themselves. Marie is just lovable, she creates this image where she dresses in vintage fifties clothes, with hair and makeup to match, sends letters in black envelopes addressed in gold glitter pen, she reads all the right stuff, including Quebecois poet Gaston Miron, to impress boys with her intellect. Her friend, rival and sometimes lover Francis (played by Xavier Dolan himself) is 5/6ths gay (by the Kinsey scale, which is mentioned in the film) and both are after the same man, Nicolas, who has blond curls and is straight out of an erotic dream of Cocteau (shots of Cocteau drawings are edited into the movie at one point).

Love here is all about style, our "heroes" turn up to only the most fabulous parties, where only exactly the right music plays, Moet flows generously and where only the beautiful people lounge. Have you money, looks, wit, are you fun, are you educated, these are the criteria for these young folk in their quest to get together. Although the alternate title to the film "Love, Imagined" is accurate in many respects, I think it underestimates the headiness and the glory of these admittedly judgemental and narcissistic love throes.

The soundtrack is mostly superb and will be finding its way to my MP3 player. One thing I would criticise though is the repeated use of Bach Cello Suites played over tepid love scenes, it just comes off as odd. Dalida's Italian language version of Bang Bang (... you shot me down) is also repeatedly played and works to much better effect. Favourite party music for me would be Exactement by Vive la Fête (lyrics repeat "Adorable Formidable").

I like the refreshing honesty with which people talk in the movie about love and rejection, one woman saying it takes her a year to get over, which sounds about right to me (coming up on 11 months myself, with the end in sight!).

Absolutely loved the ending when Nicolas walks up to Marie and Francis in the party, won't spoil it but I laughed a lot and had to suppress a whoop. Definitely a feel good movie despite subject matter that could be handled in a much more downbeat manner.

Manipulation in Grand scale

[stensson · 7/10 · 7 January 2011]

Which persons are the most evil? High on that list are those who force others to fall in love with them; just for fun, just for the game.

We meet two friends here. The boy is gay and the girl is straight and they are very close. Then, this wonderboy arrives and they both fall in love. It's not just any crush, it's probably the love of their lives. But wonderboy manipulates and drives them to become enemies to the level of physical violence. Just for fun.

It sounds like a big tragedy, but anyway you never have that feeling. The couple is people of the world and you're never really worried. The touch is somewhat too light here.

Oh Wow. Wasn't expecting that!

[hughman55 · 10/10 · 17 August 2013]

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.

A Breath of Fresh Air - Imaginary Loves Indeed

[KylieRempel · 7/10 · 8 May 2013]

First off, let me say that this movie is very chic.

The pacing of the main plot is inter-cut with clips of other characters discussing their own romances or failed romances Harry Met Sally Style - except the tales that these characters are relating is nowhere near as cutesy.

The basic plot of the movie is thus, a gay friend and a straight friend both have the hots for the same super-smooth blond, Nicholas (Niel Schnieder).

Both Xavier's character (who seems like he is Xavier himself) and Marie, played by Monia Chokri are friendly and flirtatious with the object of their affections - but in the end all is for naught and the player chooses neither.

The look of the movie is sleek in terms of style and there is a lot to enjoy here in terms of character development and dialogue. It also neatly avoids happy skip into the sunset endings in favour of brutal realism.

Excellent

[rgcustomer · 8/10 · 16 March 2011]

I'm already a fan of Quebec film, but this is something special.

While it's a simple story, the way in which it is told (the music, the fashion, the camera-work) make this much more. It's something you feel.

The love triangle reminded me slightly of The Dreamers (2003) with the references to film, or even Les chansons d'amour (2007) which had a different ending.

There is a nice symmetry to the film, between male and female, and beginning and end.

I think the mood reminds me a bit of Almodóvar.

This film is more like a wine. You have to taste it. It's seductive. It's darkly humorous. Bittersweet.

Stylishly told tale of thwarted longings

[bandw · 7/10 · 29 September 2011]

Francis (a gay man) is friends with Marie (a straight woman). When they meet Nicolas, a young Adonis, they both fall for him and a competition ensues for his affections. We are clear where Francis and Marie stand in this threesome, but what Nicolas is up to remains a mystery. There are hints that he may be gay, like the time he comments to a young man at a party, "Did it hurt too much when you fell from heaven?" Nicolas had to be aware of the intensity of the feelings he was arousing in his friends, but his desire was apparently to keep them on the hook to feed his own ego. We get evidence of the game he was playing when the jealousy between Francis and Marie over Nicolas erupted into a physical fight and he only stood back and smirked.

As this movie went along I kept thinking, "There isn't much here." But when it was over I came to feel the the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The intensity and pain of unrequited young love is captured, sometimes with a disappointed look, sometimes with a scream of pain, sometimes with graphic detail as when Francis puts one of Nicolas' shirts over his head and masturbates. Finally both Francis and Marie force the issue. In one of the most painful scenes Francis confesses to Nicolas that he wants to kiss him, only to be met with the response, "How could you ever think I was gay?" Well, Nicolas was not making it all that clear that he wasn't. Marie's confession of love was also rebuffed. A humorous and insightful final scene has you thinking that the whole scenario is about to start all over again.

It's the style of the film that will engage you or put you off. There are a lot of slow motion shots that seem to have little relevance to the story, like a long take of Francis walking down the street. In conjunction with dramatic use of color and some heavy-hitting music, the pacing of the slow motion shots helps create a dreamlike mood, and that is the appropriate mood for the story, since the three main characters are in a dreamlike state--how easy it is to project our needs and fantasies onto a likely candidate and ignore the taking of any hard data. I could have done with fewer slow motion shots of cigarette smoking. I suppose those were inserted in homage to "Breathless," but they don't play too well fifty years on. There are a number of other retro touches in evidence, from Marie's dresses to Francis' pompadour.

When I found out that the guy who played Francis (Xavier Dolan) was the writer and director and was only 21 years old at the time I could only think, "The kid's got style." This movie has a single theme that is handled well. I look forward to seeing films where Dolan applies his talents to more complex material.

Complex Love

[lucyrybicka · 9/10 · 13 June 2010]

Les Amours Imaginaires is potently beautiful purely based on its plot and the way the story is told. Its content is universal which allows anyone to relate to the story. It speaks about love, loss, rejection, and how love is all about our individual perceptive. This complex story breaks the stereotypes of sexual identity and shows that we cannot always chose who we fall in love with.

Dolans camera use and choice of colour is visually stimulating and beautiful to watch. He captures the beauty of Montreal and the culture that comes with it. The casting is incredible making the story very realistic.

What is even more important is that Les Amours Imaginaires is a story of young love told from the perceptive of a young man. We often see films about youth written or directed by film makers of a different time. This is a film that has a modern perceptive on the complexities of love.

If you have ever been in love, this film will be the speak to you like no other.

An artistic endeavour and platform for Dolan to showcase his many talents as a director

[lefkiosvanrooy · 6/10 · 28 March 2016]

Les amours imaginaires is more of an artistic endeavour rather than a film of much substance. In this film, Dolan gets to showcase his various directorial tricks which include long slow-motion shots with electrifying and captivating music playing over, flashing lights that display a scene as if it's taken out of a music video. These tricks however, as visually appealing and intriguing as they are to watch, do not do much to help this otherwise fairly empty plot and minimal character development. Essentially, Dolan has created a very pretty and stylish film about 2 people that infatuate over a boy, who continues to lead them on throughout the film only to finally come to the realisation he wasn't interested in them at all. The degree of obsession these characters develop for this guy, to the point where it turns them bitter and spiteful to each other, makes these characters slightly pathetic and unappealing especially given the fact that none of the 2 manage to develop any kind of actual chemistry or friendship with this person. On top of that the reason behind Nicolas' (the source of infatuation) over-the-top playfulness and flirtatiousness that ends up misguiding our characters in regards to his feelings towards them is never truly explained or justified. What are the reasons for this guy befriending these 2 people to this extent when none of the 2 seem to be any fun to hang out with? Having said this, the main positive aspect of the movie is that it provides a platform for the director to showcase his many talents using vibrant colours and scenery as well as elegant camera angles and shots. The movie is almost entirely comprised of musical clips, that feature the characters in slow motion shots and allow the director to express himself through hipsteristic styles (vibrant, eccentric costumes and highly stylistic sets) while still managing to bring out a bit of the characters' personalities and motivations, giving an artistic edge and aesthetic to this film that stays with you after it's finished. Note: It is interesting to see how Dolan is influenced by other directors and how small integral parts of other films he admires get embedded into his own films; His character in this movie for example expresses his disdain towards Nicolas at the end of the film in a very similar way to River Phoenix's character in My Own Private Idaho in the café scene.

Nihilistically stylish

[p-stepien · 5/10 · 28 January 2011]

In the new film auteur sweetheart Xavier Dolan's sophomore effort we receive a stylish and vague story about a passion for love. A love shared by two friends Marie (Mona Chokri) and Francis (the all-star Xavier Dolan) towards a sumptuously corny blond-haired egotripping Adonis Nicolas (Niels Schneider) a.k.a. Nico. Set to some ear-tasty music fronted by a french Dalida sung version of "Bang Bang" we receive a story about the tensions, exasperations and unfulfilled promise of expectations. Intermingled occasionally by quasi-documentary tidbit lessons of love from random people strangely balancing on the edge of mockumentary territory.

All the above is set as a backdrop to a plethora of homages to french New Wave, Jim Jarmusch, Audrey Hepburn and... Wong Kar-Wai. Albeit the nods to Kar-Wai are more than slight, as to an extent it basically felt like Dolan was basically attempting a quasi-farcical remake of the Asian pivotal work "In the Mood for Love". All inclusive. Featuring slowed-down long trailing shots, coloured cinematography, brilliantly focused sensual scenes, retro music and even an extremely overdone love poem to cigarettes and smoke. After basically ripping off Christopher Doyle's cinematography Xavier Dolan pasted together a piece of post-post-modernism, but without any of the subtle magic, power and enticement of Kar-Wai's original. The additional issue lies with the overusing of slow shots coupled with barrages of music, that lack ingenuity or class, instead bring about a repetitiveness problem and most of time seem like a tasteless parody of Doyle. Not to be too hard on Doyle even Kar-Wai himself was unable to imprint his own style into a Western film ("The Blueberry Nights"), which seems increasingly to prove that his solutions are specifically best made in Asia. Nonetheless I would go as far as to say that Dolan intended such strong borrowing after noticing the strong story similarities, as both movies are not about love itself, but about the longing for love.

Leaving the issue of almost blatant plagiarism the movie does show a lot of promise on a purely plot level and to some extent this promise is fulfilled. After slowly plodding out the story itself it does manage to engage, even though neither Dolan or Chokri have the stage presence or impact to actually convey their emotion. Almost no tension is created between characters and I found most scenes lacking dramatically. The only actor who managed to deliver was Schneider, but his role was being an egocentric and slightly clueless love-boy, so as such he was a secondary character.

The movie faces additional issues with overly worked lines with pop-cultural reference and tough words, which intend to convey a feeling of intellectuality, but are essentially unable to gloss over the fact that this seems forcibly awkward bordering on banal. Additionally other dialogues lack focus or the initially interesting idea is overused to absurdity (especially regarding people losing their head and gibbering nonsense under high emotionality). Given the movie lasts over 100 minutes with ideas for about 30-35 minutes of intriguing plotting the rest is filled with slow-motion shots with music, some uninspiring chatter and some utterly pointless forgettable side events. Despite some admirable qualities "Les amours..." seems a bit childish plot-wise and before anyone can really take Dolan seriously he really seriously needs to... well... grow up...

To add to insult the interloping interviews, which occasionally cut into the main story, lack focus, are mostly tiresome and forcibly intellectual self-styled hipster sobbings. Save for one woman with glasses, which actually adds some interesting depth to the movie. Plus the ending three minutes or so of the movie are pointless, petty and basically are a result of the overzealous director wanting to inflict some badly focused revenge...

On the positive side the use of music is perfection, whilst the cinematography is spectacularly beautiful and drenched in colour. The movie was impressive on a script level to the extent that given a bit more experience and a touch of ingenuity Dolan can actually reach the stars and make a classic movie. But this attempt is just a far cry to divinity.

I am fully aware that this may be a minority opinion, but I can't gloss over the fact that watching this movie was tiresome, uneventful and had an overwhelming feeling of repetitiveness. To sum it up: Xavier Dolan is no Tony Leung, Mona Chokri is no Maggie Cheung and "Le amours imaginaires" will never be "In the Mood for Love".

memories

[Kirpianuscus · 12 May 2018]

A film using memories and the gestures of characters and working in skin of delicate memories. About love, loss, friendship, need of the other , crumbs of New Wave , Antinous and self definition from the pieces of past. A beautiful cinematography. And the familiar universe of Xavier Dolan. Short, a sensitive, charming, seductive film, about nuances of feelings, expectations and choices of the other, about refuges. The film is almost a revelation for atmosphere. For precise delicacy and admirable elegance. And for the manner to use the experiences of viewer as basic piece of film seduction source.

Sensuel, Sexy, Stylish and colorful ... a story about infatuation

[saadgkhan · 6/10 · 1 October 2012]

Les Amours Imaginaires – Heartbeats – CATCH IT (B) Les Amours Imaginaires is a second movie directed by very young Xavier Dolan, who has directed critically acclaimed "I Killed My Mother". His previous directorial venture was very dark and touches a weird topic of a son hating her mother so much that he wishes her death as he finds his mother very cold and harsh towards him. Xavier again directed an unconventional yet comparatively lighter topic of two best friends Marie and Francis falling in love with a same angelic guy Nicholas. The movie is a sexy stylish look into this friend's life who gets jealous from each other and try their best to get the attention of Nicholas. Who is so lost in his own world and friendly love for them that he never realizes that from beginning to end these both Boy and girl are fighting for his affection. The weird part is that Marie and Francis are friends only because they have the same thoughts towards society and they don't have anyone other significant in life who can understand them. That's why even they are jealous of each other they know there won't be anyone else who can understand them. Xavier Dolan has directed a sensual sexy stylish movie though at times it's stalled and doesn't seem like moving forward at all. His performance is good. Monia Chokri is great, she is strong and different. Niels Schneider is angelic and that's the whole purpose of him. He is effortless and charming no wonder both friends fall head over heals for him. It wasn't sexual but just that strong infatuation to get his attention. The soundtrack of the movie is simply amazing and it will stick in to your heads long after the movie is over. In the end, everyone once in their life time gets infatuated by someone. And then in the end after some time you are shocked and realize that was it really worth all that attention and time?

A chic, indulgent, modern sex flick

[tim-764-291856 · 8/10 · 25 October 2011]

I love the pace and styling of this modernisation (perhaps) of Jules et Jim. I love the hyper-sensed colouration and classy music-video slo- mo's, with the characters holding their lofty pretty heads even higher, set to a beautifully hip soundtrack.

Moni Chakri, the elegant brunette, who loves Audrey Hepburn is Dolan's character's best friend; hanging out and sharing moments, rather like Will and Grace. When cherubic, blonde curly haired Neils Schreider lands in their pretty laps, all sorts of questions about sexuality are thrown open and explored. It's all done with dignity and poise; no-one screams or hits anyone.

22 year old director Xavier Dolan, (who also stars) for this French- Canadian feature, has got his designer eyes set firmly on indulgence and unpretentious superficiality. Sexual rather than explicit, it is never rude and no one farts, pukes or is seen going to the toilet. These people are to be seen rather than to 'be'; their fairly shallow lives are ones filled with fairly petty annoyances, rather than life and death scenarios.

Sadly, the viewer doesn't really get to like them enough to care too much, though maybe surprisingly, they weren't as precocious or annoying as they could have been. I adopted an approach of just letting the rich visuals and sensual music flow gently over me, rather like chocolate sauce slowly rolling in folds down a steamed pudding.

Nothing knew is said either and perhaps this helps; anything jarring or monumentally profound would be just too much and spoil the pleasure. Not that it's quaint or twee, mind you but this is definitely bespoke designer fitted kitchen drama rather anything to do with an actual sink.

sound and music extravaganza

[dangabriel · 7/10 · 23 May 2012]

Best Canadian film of the year, or any year without Arcand of Egoyan in the spotlight! One word of caution: don't jump to evaluate the plot. Like a good book, this film is better in the introspection it causes than the story per se. Great visual effects, a soft French style story, witty intrusions and a general sense of elegant joy when watching. The story is as natural as life itself. Andy Warhol meets Almodovar in this Xavier Dolan, a paella of colour and music, of pain and elation all making an experience. It exudes the thinking behind every frame, the carefully chosen colours and outfits, the engaging music, the nerdy framing. As a respectful critique, I just think some frames look too much like video clips. Still it captivates and never gives you a chance to go to the fridge during watching. Some may like simple biological stimulus, (watch then some blockbusters with Julia Roberts in all her pectorally enhanced glory) but this film is about complicated humanity. A deserved Cannes selection, will follow the director with interest. Given his age, the future may bring us finally some more quality Canadian Cinema. © Dan Gabriel 2012 [e-mail]

I loved it.

[oddity94 · 10/10 · 18 May 2010]

This new lavish love story by Xavier Dolan is a movie i've been looking forward to for some time now, mostly because I love I Killed My Mother.

I could label it as hyper-stylized, but it was one of the most marvellously shot films and one film that I will certainly not forget. Heartbeats (USA title) is an original piece of cinema that I'm utterly in love with.

Heartbeats shows us a rather unique love story about two friends, a guy (Xavier Dolan) and a girl (Monia Chokri), who both fall in love with the same guy, both attempting to woo him, but to almost no avail.

I'm in love with this film as much as one can possible be, simply because I love Xavier's style and use of music (Dalida's "Bang, Bang" is amazing) as well as his very modern characters and the superb actors who incarnate them. It's essentially a fairly simple and amusing love story wrapped in a much more visually stimulating package and it is entertaining to watch Criticsism: The main problem is that the story doesn't have much depth and it doesn't really break norm. Dolan uses slow-motion and powerful songs (again "Bang, Bang" to extended scenes and moments, but it causes the story drag on a bit more than it should.

Anyone can relate to this painfully funny film.

[ihrtfilms · 8/10 · 7 April 2011]

Francis is gay and his close friend Marie is straight, two little things that threaten to tear the friendship apart when at a dinner party they meet 'Adonis' like Nicholas. Both feel an instant attraction to the blond curly haired beauty who seems to exude sexuality, passion and an artistic creative side. The attraction grows as the trio becomes firm friends, spending more and more time together and Francis and Maris both try to impress Nicholas by dressing like his favorite movie stars or hanging out in places he might be and then pretending it's just chance when they meet.

Nicholas though never states a defined interest in either playing ambiguously towards the two leading them to have little idea where they stand. As the friendship progress's the two sleep with partners in the hope of gaining some sexual satisfaction elsewhere when they can't have it where they really want it and all the time the pangs of jealousy grow stronger between the two as each bids for Nicholas' affections.

This second feature from Canadian Xavier Dolan is a far cry from his debut (I Killed My Mother), which I found a grating and dire experience. In contrast this is a brilliant portrait of unrequited love that perhaps anyone can relate to. As a film maker, there is no doubt that Dolan had talent and in this film it really shines. The film is as frustrating though as it is funny and real; Dolan populates his film with beautiful 'trendsetters' who at times look like a bunch of espresso swilling bourgeois idiots and that I found annoying and there are times when it falters on some clichéd territory. Yet this is outweighed by fine performances, great camera work, including some nice slow motion shots and a brilliant visual impact with it's array of costumes and in some sequences bright colour. Dolan also douses his film with some vibrant and perfect musical choices that at times add to the realism of the plot.

And it's that plot that works so well; everyone has felt an attraction to someone and gone out of their way to 'impress' them in the hope they might make something unrequited become less so. The ability to be able to relate makes for an at times painful but also very very funny film and whilst it does have some faults this is a really solid and wonderful film.

More of my reviews at my site iheartfilm.weebly.com

A visually and sonically pleasing thrill

[alferik · 8/10 · 27 August 2010]

Lucyrybicka's review was excellent and said it all. Unfortunately, my laptop's touchpad is very sensitive, and it made me accidentally click "No" to the question whether Lucyrybicka's review was helpful to me or not - as I was trying to move the pointer across from screen right to the "Yes" button. So it should say 5 out 8 there, not 4 out of 8. Sorry about that.

I loved this film and it has both great scenes and a very tasteful use of soundtrack. I saw it on the last day of the NIFF (Norwegian International Film Festival) in a very state-of-the-art auditorium, meaning big screen, digital image, superb sound - and it was a delight to watch A real treat.

I agree: If you've ever been in love (experienced limerence), this movie will speak to you like almost no other.

Overrated

[seronjaa-797-313124 · 4/10 · 10 August 2013]

when i started watching the movie, i didn't really enjoy it and just waited for something to happen, but nothing really happened. the random people talking between the scenes were completely unnecessary, but after all, the best part of the movie was what the girl with the black glasses said about spooning. this movie isn't really about love. it's about adult people with the brains of teenagers falling for "the perfect guy". the movie is quite pretentious, as the characters with all their vintage clothes, audrey hepburn, talking about art and other hipster crap. i also didn't like all the slow motion scenes and the bedroom scenes. the slow motion was sooo uncalled for and in the bedroom scenes we don't really hear anything new. but the soundtrack is nice. oh, and the ending isn't that bad. but the characters really suck. it's like all 3 main characters are the same person. they're really shallow and boring, as their conversations. :/

Delightful and artful

[aghm · 9/10 · 27 June 2010]

I loved this film. I live in Montreal and just watched with a (I presume predominately French Canadian)audience in the theatre. It was highly amusing to watch it with fellow Montrealers who seemed to catch on to jokes and nuances and familiarities that other audiences would not catch on to, so in that regard, this film would mean something special and familiar to Montrealers, and comedic even, which would not transfer to other audiences.

On to the movie. The heart of it, in a nutshell, is the analysis of a boy-and-girl-best-friends' interactions with a third character, with themselves in their moments of solitude, and with each other. One of the things that drew me in so powerfully while watching it was the cinematography. The use of colours, the close-up shots, the slow-motion, the parallels, the motifs....... Suffice it to say that it is visually beautiful and paced just so, so as to create a captivating sense of anticipation. It definitely focuses just as much on silent scenes as it does on dialogue to convey emotion, if not more so.

Watch it if you want to learn more about Montrealers, about youth culture, or about neurotic characters. Or watch it to support a very young and very promising and exciting Talent: Xavier Dolan

Loved it

[nab_20 · 8/10 · 29 September 2010]

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival and as a 25 year old on a personal level I related to this movie and loved it!!! In my short life I've found myself in more than one love triangle and in many triangles that don't involve love and i thought the film represented that very well. Especially when you like someone and you don't know if they return your feelings and confusion that trying to read the signals can cause is all accurately portrayed in this movie. I loved the director's use of music to help tell the story as well. Just goes to show all you need is a good story to make a good movie. Not only special effects and car chases.

no i don't have a summary

[olalucifer · 8/10 · 7 July 2017]

why have I done all the stupid things involved in the dialogues?

what Dolan does best is to present all the sensitive details which you definitely have experienced once when you were in love and never noticed or you're just never willing to admit.

being talented is such a fine privilege.