Reviews

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  ★★★½ review by Vanessa on Letterboxd

  I wanted to watch a Xavier Dolan movie but I've seen all of his movies so many times that I thought it's time for something new and so I decided to finally watch the movies he acted in although none of them seemed very intriguing.

  I should mention that now matter how much I love Xavier Dolan the director, I'm not very keen on Xavier Dolan the actor. He's okay in his movies but most of the time there are other actors who shine more. Elephant Song is an exception. This was the first time I actually enjoyed to see him act and he and Bruce Greenwood had a great chemistry.

  I really loved the story, how the characters were explored and the mind games the two main characters were playing, even though their conversations seemed to get a bit repetitive sometimes. The only thing that bothered me about the movie was the ending. I feel like they could have concluded it within a few minutes but it went on for way too long.

  Even though I liked Dolan in Elephant Song is still hope that he wasn't being serious when he said that he wanted to focus more on his acting career instead of directing because even though he was alright in this movie, it would be a shame to lose an incredible director and get an average actor who makes average movies like thousands of others.

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  ★★★★½ review by jeannie on Letterboxd

  Elephant Song is one of those films you don't expect to love, but it hits you at the end and you walk out of the theatre in a daze. In the beginning, it is a bit slow-paced and the film takes a while to get on its feet. However once the ball gets rolling, you are completely invested in the main character, played excellently by Dolan. What gets me about this film (established in a conversation I had after watching it) is that the characters are, at their roots, less eccentric than you think and utterly human. Every single character is explored, transforming them into wonderfully complex three-dimensional characters. Though it takes a while to get into it, Elephant Song is an exquisite exploration of human character and motivations.

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  ★★★★ review by Sheryl (Archive) on Letterboxd

  I didn't expect to love this that much, but I do and it's mostly because of Xavier Dolan. He's magnetically intuitive, quietly childish and bombastically present. Although it's rare for me to be completely distrustful of characters like him, he truly knows how to play on heartstrings like a fiddle, even when he isn't directing.

  It took awhile to get used to this particular filmic approach, and at least in the beginning the parallel storylines can be frustrating. It tells more than shows, which I usually find a deficient quality in a movie. But the narrative eventually evolves into something less prescriptive, and it never loses its emotional pitch thanks to the acting, as aforementioned. It's easy to remain invested and ask questions throughout. It's a nice surprise.

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  ★★★½ review by Lianne on Letterboxd

  Great colors
  
  Clever lines (I'm the patient, you're the impatient)
  
  A bit homo-erotic
  
  Sometimes a bit slow

  I liked it while watching it, but after a week I almost forget that I watched it...so maybe the movie isn't remarkable enough.

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  ★★★½ review by 예수루 on Letterboxd

  Je suis trompée, aussi.

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