Filmmaker Xavier Dolan has a real love-hate relationship with the Cannes Film Festival. From his first film “I Killed My Mother” getting a standing ovation after its premiere at the event to his last film “It’s Only the End of the World” getting booed, Dolan has experienced the highest highs and lowest lows of what the world’s most prestigious film festival can present. And that decidedly varied experience has led the young director to premiere his new film “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan” at the Toronto International Film Festival.
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It’s no secret that ‘John F. Donovan’ has been the subject of intense speculation over the last year or so, as Dolan attempted to get his newest, and by far biggest, film out to the public. First, there was the odd production process, with various starts and stops. Then, during the editing process, which Dolan admits took the better part of two years, the filmmaker cut A-lister Jessica Chastain completely from the film. And just recently, while the year’s biggest films slot their premieres at the various festivals, there were rumors that ‘John F. Donovan’ had behind-the-scenes issues that were preventing the film from being selected.
READ MORE: Xavier Dolan’s ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’ [TIFF Review]
Ultimately, however, the film premieres at TIFF, and according to Dolan, it’s the perfect festival for his star-studded, English-language debut. “Cannes has its own tiring way of making everything dramatic and extreme, positively or negatively,” says Dolan (via THR). “’John F. Donovan’ isn’t at all a film that should elicit that kind of radicalism, nor claims to be an A-list effort that should stand next to the likes of Competition directors.”
If you read that comment and are a bit confused, you’re not alone. It’s odd to hear a filmmaker almost describe his film in a self-defeating way. Who else would describe a film featuring actors like Kit Harrington, Natalie Portman, Jacob Tremblay, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, and Thandie Newton (not to mention the cut Chastain) as anything less than “A-list?” Or is he saying that he didn’t give it an “A-list effort?” And it sure does sound like he’s saying that his latest film isn’t good enough to enter any official competition, right?
Strange, to say the least.
Regardless of what ends up happening with the critical, and audience, reception of ‘John F. Donovan,” Dolan has apparently decided to take a step back from high-profile projects and focus on something more personal for his next picture, “Matthias & Maxime.”
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“It wasn’t really the need for a smaller picture that made me decide to do it, but rather a need to go back to basics,” he says. “And the fact that I’d seen so many gay love stories in 2017 that deeply marked me that it made me want to write one myself.”
As for his parting thoughts about ‘John F. Donovan,’ the young filmmaker again sounds defeated, saying, “The only thing left to do now is learn from what people will see and say. I’ve come to a point where I need to share the film with the world.”
“The Death and Life of John F. Donovan” recently premiered at TIFF and distribution outside of the festival is still to be determined.
Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival here.