Melvil Poupaud Becomes a Woman for Xavier Dolan’s ‘Laurence Anyways’

Melvil Poupaud has replaced Louis Garrel in the cross-dresser titular lead role for French Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan’s third feature film. Poupaud who was most recently seen in Gilles Marchand’s Cannes bomb L’autre monde, joins his Les Sentiments co-star Nathalie Baye as part of constituency of French from France joining the France-Quebec production. Winter filming on Laurence Anyways takes place in Montreal next week up until the 12th of April and then Dolan will film the second half in September completing the picture for what should be another date in Cannes (following in the footsteps of J’ai tué ma mère and Les Amours imaginaires). Lyla Films’ Lyse Lafontaine and MK2’s Nathanaël Karmitz and Charles Gillibert are producing.

Gist: Written by Dolan, in 1989, Laurence (Poupaud) celebrates its 30th anniversary at the restaurant with Fred (Suzanne Clément), his girlfriend. When he reveals his secret desire of becoming a woman, it rocks their world. After his reflection among family, Fred agrees to accompany Laurence throughout the metamorphosis. In January 1990, he goes back to working as a professor where he teaches literature and is dressed as a woman. A new life begins. But despite this happy beginning, the weight of social stigma, family rejection and the incompatibility within the couple becomes toxic. Lies, secrets and backstabbing are part of the modus vivendi of Laurence and Fred, who are firing on all cylinders to save their love.

Worth Noting: It may be a little early to draw comparisons as this is only his third film, but much like Pedro Almodovar, Dolan likes to reuse the same actresses. Anne Dorval makes it three for three with the director, while Clément and Monia Chokri are on their second tour of duty with the filmmaker.  

Do We Care?: If you discount his work with Louis Garrel, this is essentially the first time that Dolan works with international talents which only confirms how talented of a filmmaker he is — it’ll also be the first time that Dolan himself isn’t in front of the camera – which should calm down the non-fans who call him a megalomaniac. I’m expecting his to incorporate much of the stylistic input we found his his sophomore film and the tone of this passion project could equal that of some of the bluntly honest scenes in his directing debut. Oddly, while both of his last films were picked up, it’s his second film (Heartbeats) that will be released — next week.