Tom at the Farm
Dir: Xavier Dolan
2014
****
Xavier Dolan's forth feature is somewhat of a departure from the themes he usually explores and is unexpectedly brutal and dark. Dolan's film is a faithful adaptation of Michel Marc Bouchard's play but is far more of an intense thriller than theatrical drama. There is something uniquely beautiful about Dolan's three previous films but Tom at the Farm is decidedly bleak and stark in comparison. The tone suits the story perfectly and it is at times uncomfortably suspenseful. Everything is hinted at rather than explained, it's almost a psychological puzzle waiting to be solved. Dolan lingers and focuses on the backgrounds, visually I think it is his most impressive film to date, with Gabriel Yared's beautiful score matching the rich but sinister compositions. Dolan has been accused of being somewhat of a Narcissist, having the camera focus on him for most of the film but I would argue that he does a brilliant job of playing the natural protagonist which only heightens the powerful performances from Pierre-Yves Cardinal and Lise Roy. It's one of the most generous performances from a leading actor/director I've ever seen. It's certainly not my favorite of Dolan's films, I find Heartbeats and Laurence Anyways irresistible but Tom at the Farm shows he is a director and actor with a wide range and I believe he could take on any genre and produce something unique and successful.