Xavier Dolan said again in an interview in the Spanish press that he wanted to leave the film industry. Disappointed with the reception his latest projects received, he even went so far as to say that “art is useless” that “devoting oneself to cinema is a waste of time”. “Words taken out of context”, corrected the main interested party on Thursday afternoon. Still, these remarks caused a huge reaction on Thursday in the Quebec cinema community, which has always maintained a love-hate relationship with this child prodigy, whose main quality – it must be said – has never been modesty.
“I can understand the discouragement and the weariness faced with an art that knows 1001 turbulences, but the value judgment on art, no. Art is an essential exchange and transmission belt and to abandon it is also to jeopardize a relationship with the world which is already so fragile, ”lamented film critic Helen Faradji, shocked by the most recent exit of the 34-year-old director.
On social networks, the Radio-Canada columnist was not kind to Xavier Dolan, whom she compared to the “Lady of the Camellias”, in reference to this capricious and self-centered character from the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. . And Helen Faradji is not the only one to make fun of the words of the director. Several industry players have also shared their annoyance following the comments of Xavier Dolan, who now says he wants to build a house in the countryside to lock himself up there with friends and “see how the world burns”.
“He was never humble and we have just had proof of this once again with these declarations. In the film industry in Quebec, he has always disturbed. Obviously, there was like a discontent which was latent and which can be expressed today. People really take pleasure in destroying it. Many needed to let off steam visibly, ”says Jason Béliveau, editor-in-chief of the specialized journal Sequences.
Jealousy? No doubt in part, believes Jason Béliveau. It’s a cliché, but success has always disturbed in a Quebec where many have constantly been told that they were “born for a small loaf”. That said, directors like Jean-Marc Vallée, Denis Villeneuve or even Philippe Falardeau have never aroused as much resentment as Xavier Dolan here, even if they too have shone abroad. For what ?
“We don’t really have stars in Quebec who behave like such. We don’t like that. Denis Villeneuve, despite the great career he leads, is someone who has remained humble, who is discreet, who never makes waves in interviews. Even Celine Dion, she has always kept this image of an accessible girl. Xavier Dolan, that’s not it. Since his debut, he has always been used to flamboyant declarations. At the same time, if he didn’t have that character, he wouldn’t have gone to Cannes at 20,” says Jason Béliveau.
Privileged?
From I killed my mother, his very first film in 2009, there has always been this perception among some in Quebec that Xavier Dolan was a privileged person, that he did not deserve the recognition he received from his debut. Some like to recall that he is a child star who grew up on film sets, mentioning in passing that he is the son of actor Manuel Tadros and that he was also the nephew of the critic of the Duty Odile Tremblay.
After all, he is the only filmmaker who had the means to finance his first film out of his own pocket, without the help of public institutions. Most young directors, on the other hand, have to wait for years before obtaining the necessary funds for a first feature film.
Privileged or not, do not believe that Xavier Dolan is therefore overestimated, insists the film critic Michel Coulombe: “it is not a sham. When we look at his journey, there are several successes. I killed my motherit’s a brilliant film, especially when you consider how old he made it. Mummy, It’s amazing. He’s a great dialogue writer and he’s someone who directs his actors like no one else. »
Already seen
Michel Coulombe does not believe for a second that Xavier Dolan is about to bow out to only make commercials, as he said in an interview with the daily El País. “At best, it will only be a break,” he predicts. On Instagram, Xavier Dolan indicated Thursday afternoon that the context of his remarks was lost with the translation. “Of course art matters. Of course cinema is not a waste of time,” he wrote in a short message in English.
The fact remains that this is not the first time that Xavier Dolan suggests that he will stop the cinema. Last November, he already confided to the Montreal Journal not having “so much desire to do this job at the moment”. Rebelote at the microphone of Marie-Louise Arsenault on ICI Première last May.
But the impulsive director is the type to quickly change his mind. In 2014, he said he wanted to take a break to return to school, which obviously never materialized.