Overview
A poignant exploration of love and identity that transcends societal norms.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intense
- melancholic
- avant-garde
- reflective evening
- arthouse movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s emotional force, performances, visual ambition, and complex treatment of transgender identity, while finding its extended runtime and melodramatic excess uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Laurence’s transition reshapes his long-term relationship with Fred across a decade rather than functioning as a brief plot device.
The film’s avant-garde presentation and expressive visual flourishes reflect the intense inner and relational lives of Laurence and Fred.
Conflict extends through family, work, public perception, and the couple’s changing expectations after Laurence comes out.
The story charts ten years in Laurence and Fred’s relationship, emphasizing separation, change, and memory across time.
Films like Laurence Anyways, and why
Tangerine
shared transgender identity themes, intimate romance, and emotionally intense relationship drama
The Danish Girl
shared lgbtq+ subject matter, vivid visual style, and romantic drama centered on identity and self-determination
A Fantastic Woman
shared long-form relationship narrative, gender identity themes, and melancholic emotional intensity
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
shared queer romance, social pressure, and heightened arthouse melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- Xavier Dolan
- Release Date
- 2012-05-18
- Runtime
- 168 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (918)
Cast
- Melvil Poupaud
- Suzanne Clément
- Nathalie Baye
- Monia Chokri
- Susan Almgren
- Yves Jacques
- Sophie Faucher
- Magalie Lépine-Blondeau
- Catherine Bégin
- Emmanuel Schwartz
Common questions
- What is Laurence Anyways about?
- A visually audacious decade-long romance follows a transgender woman and the lover whose devotion is tested by her pursuit of an authentic life.
- What is Laurence Anyways like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Laurence Anyways as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Laurence Anyways violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Laurence Anyways.
- What did critics think of Laurence Anyways?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s emotional force, performances, visual ambition, and complex treatment of transgender identity, while finding its extended runtime and melodramatic excess uneven.
- Which films are like Laurence Anyways?
- Films with a similar feel include Tangerine, The Danish Girl, A Fantastic Woman, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
- How long is Laurence Anyways?
- Laurence Anyways runs 168 minutes.
