Les Amours Imaginairesnote , also known by its English title Heartbeats, is a 2010 Canadian romantic drama film written and directed by Xavier Dolan. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
The film revolves around two twentysomething Montrealers: Francis (Dolan), a gay man, and Marie (Monia Chokri), a straight woman. The two are best friends...until they both meet and fall for the same young man, Nicolas (Niels Schneider).
Francis and Marie are both instantly and equally smitten, and begin a discrete duel for Nicolas's affection as they separately try to win his heart. With Nicolas playing the seduction ambiguous with respect to both, showing no real preference, a strange love triangle is formed and builds in intensity, reaching a climax when the trio visit the vacation home of Nicolas’ mother.
Apart from the main plot, the film also contains recurring monologues from outside characters on their experiences with love, relationships and heartbreak.
This film provides examples of:
- Ambiguously Bi: Nicolas that keeps giving mixed signals to both Marie and Francis.
- The Cameo: Louis Garrel as the new love interest of Marie and Francis.
- Here We Go Again!: After rejecting Nicolas and mending their friendship, the film ends with Francis and Marie seemingly falling in love, again, with another attractive man at a party.
- Hipster: it is a Nolan movie, full of trendy 20 something wearing throwback clothes and floppy beanies.
- Incompatible Orientation: Played with. Nicolas ultimately turns down Francis, telling him he's not gay, when both the main characters and the audience were consistently led to believe that he was probably bisexual.
- Pretty Boy: Nicolas, of course. He is even directly compared to a greek statue during the dance scene.
- Slow-Motion Pass-By: When we first meet Nicolas in the café.
- The Power of Friendship: Francis and Marie, ultimately.
