I’m no hipster and don’t really find them all that interesting typically (though the Montreal setting is fun).  But, I do understand a thing or two about desire and longing.

Heartbeats pivots on a love triangle:  a young woman and her male friend both fall for the same guy, and I’m a little confounded by that because, though he is cute, he is also a bit of a cipher.  Maybe it is just pheromones or some other form of that ineffable je ne sais quoi.  Whatever.

This is the second feature by 21-year-old Québécois Xavier Dolan, and Heartbeats (French title Les Amours Imaginaires, which conveys a bit more about the story) won critical praise as an Official Selection at Cannes last year.

If the director is precocious (and it appears he is), so is the film.

While I think it has some pacing issues and I never developed any affection for or  deeep connection with the characters, it is hard to deny the palpability of their angst and…well…the ache rising out of all that intense longing.  Who hasn’t been in that spot at some point or another?

There are also some lovely moments in the film, some that are authentic on an emotional level and others that are just gorgeous cinematically.  Certainly, this film is worth seeing, especially if you are long past finding fulfillment with formulaic romantic comedies.

Opening at a/perture April 1^st. http://www.aperturecinema.com