DramaRomance

Laurence Anyways

The story of an impossible love between a woman named Fred and a transgender woman named Laurence who reveals her inner desire to become her true self.

Release Date : 2012-05-18

Language :FrenchEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Lyla FilmsMK2 FilmsARTE France Cinéma

Production Country : CanadaFrance

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Laurence Alia

Original Name : Melvil Poupaud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fred Bellair

Original Name : Suzanne Clément

Gender : Female

Character Name : Julienne Alia

Original Name : Nathalie Baye

Gender : Female

Character Name : Stéfanie Bellair

Original Name : Monia Chokri

Gender : Female

Character Name : Journalist

Original Name : Susan Almgren

Gender : Female

Character Name : Michel Lafortune

Original Name : Yves Jacques

Gender : Male

Character Name : Andrée Bellair

Original Name : Sophie Faucher

Gender : Female

Character Name : Charlotte

Original Name : Magalie Lépine-Blondeau

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mamy Rose

Original Name : Catherine Bégin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Baby Rose

Original Name : Emmanuel Schwartz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dada Rose

Original Name : Jacques Lavallée

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tatie Rose

Original Name : Perrette Souplex

Gender : Female

Character Name : Shookie Rose

Original Name : Patricia Tulasne

Gender : Female

Character Name : Albert

Original Name : David Savard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Francine

Original Name : Monique Spaziani

Gender : Female

Character Name : Restaurant Manager

Original Name : Denise Filiatrault

Gender : Female

Character Name : Élise Voïlinsky

Original Name : Violette Chauveau

Gender : Female

Character Name : Fanny

Original Name : Mylène Jampanoï

Gender : Female

Character Name : Alexandre

Original Name : Jacob Tierney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Board Chairman

Original Name : Gilles Renaud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Board Secretary

Original Name : Patrice Coquereau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mélanie

Original Name : Anne-Élisabeth Bossé

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marthe Delteuil

Original Name : Anne Dorval

Gender : Female

Character Name : Yves Voïnitski

Original Name : Pierre Chagnon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mathieu

Original Name : Éric Bruneau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Simon Deltreuil

Original Name : Alexis Lefebvre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roland Bertrand

Original Name : Denys Paris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pierre Alia

Original Name : Vincent Davy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Léo

Original Name : Vincent Plouffe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apartment Owner

Original Name : Manuel Tadros

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marco de Bellefeuille

Original Name : Alexandre Goyette

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Teen

Original Name : Antoine Olivier Pilon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Antique Dealer

Original Name : Bronwen Mantel

Gender : Female

Character Name : Truck Driver

Original Name : Mario Geoffrey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Albert's Aunt

Original Name : Yvette Thuot

Gender : Female

Character Name : Student

Original Name : Jeanne Gionnet-Lavigne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Supermarket Clerk

Original Name : Claude Gasse

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barman

Original Name : Clément Deschênes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Academic

Original Name : François Sasseville

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at the Party (uncredited)

Original Name : Xavier Dolan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman on Set (uncredited)

Original Name : Emily Hampshire

Gender : Female

Reviews

badelf

@badelf

2022-06-30

It would be wrong to call this "just another TG movie." It's an intense love story, told in a throwback avant-garde style, which is pretty impressive. I enjoyed both the art that was intended to reflect the lives of two artists, as well as the story.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-05-25

Xavier Dolan pretty much tries to rewrite the gender identity book with this overly long, but quite potent look at the life of "Laurence" (Melvil Poupaud). He is a pretty discontented man who announces to his long term girlfriend "Fred" (Suzanne Clément) that he is deeply unhappy in his own skin, and that he feels he would be much more fulfilled as a person if her were to be a woman. She's a bit taken aback, there are the "is it me?' conversations and then the realism sets in for her. That realism is even more difficult for his parents. His father, well he takes a slightly more stereotypically rejectionist perspective but his mother (Nathalie Baye) has a far harder time reconciling his choices. Though in response to his "Will you still love me", she comes out with "Are you becoming a woman or an idiot?", you sense that her world is in just as much turmoil as that of her son who now wishes to be her daughter. With the family stresses bubbling away, he starts to dress more freely and that attracts comments at work. He's a literature lecturer - perhaps a vocation that might provide for an atmosphere of tolerance and alternatives? Well, no - not quite, and pretty soon he is without a traditional form of anchor in his life, but no less determined. The story is set across a ten year period during which "Laurence" moves towards realigning his sex and dealing with the consequences for him and those around him. Poupaud is really quite effective at illustrating the peaks and troughs of his new life, of the days of joy and empowerment tempered with those of depression and isolation. Baye also delivers strongly as a woman conflicted and not at all certain of what is best for her child - and there is something plausible about her behaviour. Then there's Bellair's effort as his lover. That doesn't work quite so well for me, but maybe that's because I felt the behaviour written for her character just didn't resonate with realistically very often. It is over-written. There is way too much dialogue and at times I wanted them to shut up so I could take things in and assemble the scenario in my own mind. It has it's thought-provoking moments, and it also has some dry humour to lighten the mood every now and again as, in the end, Poupaud does make you care.