After signing two remarkably successful first features, filmmaker Sophie Dupuis hits even harder with her third film: Soloan intense but destructive love story, carried by a breathtaking Théodore Pellerin in the form of a drag queen.
• Also read: Sophie Dupuis and Théodore Pellerin delve into the world of drag queens in the film “Solo”.
Simon (Théodore Pellerin) is a rising star in Montreal’s drag scene. Simon lives with Maude (the excellent Alice Moreault), his beloved sister who designs all his clothes, and thrives in the evenings when he performs on the stage of the bar that has become his second living room. There Simon meets Olivier (Félix Maritaud, Magnetic), a new employee at the bar who catches his eye.
Love at first sight between Simon and Olivier is instantaneous. But their initially passionate relationship quickly turns toxic due to Olivier’s narcissistic personality.
As Simon tries to get back together with Olivier, the unexpected return of his mother (Anne-Marie Cadieux), a singer who has been pursuing a career abroad for about fifteen years, will throw him even further off balance.
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Breathtaking!
After Sophie Dupuis had already directed his two (very successful) first features, Chien de garde and Souterrain, she reunited with Théodore Pellerin, her favorite actor, to offer him one of the most beautiful roles of his young and blossoming career. At the peak of his art, the 26-year-old actor managed to explore the different facets of Simon and his female alter ego in a nuanced and subtle way, without falling into caricature.
Pellerin is as moving in emotionally charged moments as he is breathtaking in his extravagant performances on stage. His drag act at the end of the film is nothing short of masterful.
Behind the camera, Sophie Dupuis demonstrates the mastery of a filmmaker in full possession of her potential. His feverish and dynamic production immerses us in the electrifying atmosphere of Montreal cabarets, a universe that the director has carefully recreated by drawing on several familiar faces from the Quebec drag scene. Despite a sometimes predictable plot, his solo proves to be a moving and spectacular tribute to the art of drag.
“Solo” hits theaters across Quebec on Friday.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Solo, a film by Sophie Dupuis starring Théodore Pellerin, Félix Maritaud and Alice Moreault.