Genèse

I saw this at the New Zealand International Film Festival and I truly cannot remember the last film I saw that had this much contempt and hatred for its characters. It wallows in misery and subjects its protagonists to so much cruelty, before deciding otherwise in a totally pointless and interminable third act. Performances are strong but they are in the service of people who aren't characters - are barely even a collection of ticks. On an aesthetic level, Genesis makes some truly puzzling choices; crash zooms, long unbroken takes of panning to and fro, repetitive use of the same dull pop songs and a really poor sense of pacing. The performances are truly the only thing that work, and at over 130 minutes long, the performances are a very small saving grace within this awful slog.

I am not one to go in gunning for a film, and I was actually quite excited to see this. I hated it from start to finish, I was in misery, and I highly doubt I will see a worse film this year.

Way too many long shots that provided nothing. If you do end up watching this movie, fast forward through those, it'll make it a little more tolerable.

Beautifully composed coming of age multiple story. Vivid, fresh look on teenagers seeking identity, meaning, inspiration and fulfillment. Sensitive, melancholic, truly perceptive and poetic. The unexpected reactions of first love and contagious music. Undoubtedly one of the best films of 2019.

Nice 2/3 of a movie. Catches well the world of modern love and despair within the youth. Loved too that it takes place in Montreal, great city. Soundtrack was good too, I made a couple of discoveries (John Maus, Tops). Beautifully shot as well. The pace reminded me of european movies. But the last, unexpected act, turned me off completely. I couldn't even finish the movie! From a solid 7.5 it dropped to a 6.

Perhaps the folks who don't get it have had the fortune of never experiencing broken heartedness before. If so, their opinion matters not because they are the lucky few who have somehow avoided suffering and therefore personal growth. For the rest of us, those who have had our hearts broken, this film is a monument. Discovering betrayal, and allowing that to motivate poor decision-making which leads to further betrayal. Discovering years of friendship can disappear in a single gay moment, but having the courage to stand firm rather than hide or self-harm. And the touching innocence and rapturous joy of required love, young love, first love--that section ought to have reverberated with the fortunate few, had they kept watching.

It's a film about love and heartbreak. Is the pacing perfect? No. Is the music perfect? No. But the film is solid and the performances excellent.