Follies

A big-hearted look at the complexities of contemporary relationships, Eric K. Boulianne’s debut feature may also be the year’s most hilarious movie. It’s the rarest kind of farce, one that is frank and funny on the subject of sex, yet also extends a spirit of generosity to characters who are doing their best to figure out what it is they really want.

Boulianne and the equally fearless Catherine Chabot play François and Julie, a longtime couple living in Montreal with two kids. Feeling stagnant but still committed to each other and their family, they decide that opening up their relationship could lead to happier lives. But, as is so often the case with new possibilities and new partners, circumstances soon get more complicated than they expected, making it hard for François and Julie to abide by the rules they set for themselves.

The co-writer of such Festival features as Vincent Biron’s Prank (2016) and Stéphane Lafleur’s Viking (2022), Boulianne also demonstrated his skills as an actor and director in his short Faire un enfant (2023), a prizewinner at the Locarno Film Festival and a selection for Short Cuts and Canada’s Top Ten. The energy he exudes on screen is more than matched by Chabot and other castmates who do whatever it takes to portray this exploration of new sexual frontiers, all without a trace of judgment or kink-shaming. Indeed, for all the bodies on display in all their many configurations, Boulianne’s film may be at its most revealing when sharing its insights about love, commitment, and what it takes to be truly honest.

JASON ANDERSON

Content advisory: coarse language, drug use, nudity, sexual content