Another Day in Cinema

So I went to a cinema the second time after the pandemic. The city should be small or the cinemas are concentrated in definitive areas because this cinema was almost in the same street as the first cinema I went to. The first was Neues Off, this one is called Rollberg, one of the cinemas that are known for showing films in the original language, iiuc. A bit further in Hermanstraße in the Tempelhof direction, and then on the left, on Rollbergstraße. As in my previous visit, I went early and spent some time in Hasenhaide before the film, reading a book and watching the bubble soccer people.

Matthias & Maxime (2019) was shown with its original language that is Quebec French with German subtitles. I was thinking that I can understand more with faith in the trans-national language of the film. I recall Jim Jarmusch watching Asian films, without understanding, maybe even directing one (?). The film has a universal language, I thought. But that didn’t go as I expected. I was unable to catch the details of the dialogues despite being able to follow the plot. Were there jokes about Jacques Rivette, other references to the filmmaking?

The film had the signature scenes of Dolan, music video-like moments where the emotions and desires pile up, mommy issues, and a youngster realizing oneself. The ending wasn’t clear for me and I kept it unclear, didn’t do any readings on it. Maybe I didn’t get a key dialogue towards the end. Both the struggles about speaking English and the widely adapted attitude of looking down on the language were entertaining and instructive. I didn’t know that these tensions exist in the Quebec community.

The facial scar was an inventive device that Dolan utilized throughout the film. As a human being with several skin diseases, I found it relatable. Who knows, maybe those will disappear in a magical moment – probably a transitory one. I couldn’t understand the contract with the aunt (?) due to my lack of understanding of the vocabulary. The tension at the farewell party was intense and the parents’ excessive joy and enthusiasm during the film screening were exciting.

 

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