Harris Dickinson Proved He Could Be a Leading Man in This Xavier Dolan Arthouse Romance

With his much-discussed performance in Babygirl, Harris Dickinson is having a pivotal moment in his career. But fans who know the British actor from his singular performances in projects such as Where the Crawdads Sing, The Iron Claw, and A Murder at the End of the World may be surprised to find out that Dickinson makes an appearance in the 2019 French-language film Matthias & Maxime, directed by Xavier Dolan. One of the best in the young director's already extensive filmography, Matthias & Maxime is a beautiful and romantic gem, and Dickinson's small but interesting role showcases his potential star power.

What Is 'Matthias & Maxime' About?

Everyone loves a good friends-to-lovers arc, but no one does it quite like Dolan in Matthias & Maxime. Dolan himself plays Maxime, a shy bartender in Montréal who is about to move to Australia, mainly to escape his alcoholic and abusive mother (played by frequent Dolan collaborator Anne Dorval). Meanwhile, Maxime's lifelong best friend Matthias (Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas) is a high-achieving lawyer dealing with the imminent departure of his friend in the midst of a work promotion. The two characters' lives are thrown for a loop when they are both cast in a short film and asked to share an on-screen kiss. Matthias and Maxime try to figure out their changing feelings for each other in the midst of a series of goodbye parties hosted by their friends.

Matthias & Maxime is quieter and more stripped down than many of Dolan's arthouse films, which allows the characters to stand out like sculptures. Dolan writes characters so exceptionally that we get a sense of people within just a few minutes of screen time. To give his characters their distinctness, Dolan pays close attention to facial expressions, often filming close-ups of his character's faces. The actors in Matthias & Maxime are challenged to convey expressions so fleeting that the viewer will miss them if they blink. In one scene, Maxime's aunt (Louise Bombardier) tells him, "You'll find someone, I'm sure." Maxime looks down in response, nodding and chewing on his thumb, and she gives him a quizzical look while inhaling her cigarette, as if she's picked up on something anxious in his response. In another moment, the camera follows Matthias through the crowd at a house party and pans past Matthias' friend Rivette (Pier-Luc Funk), who gives him the briefest smile of understanding, showing without speaking that he knows that Matthias is looking for Maxime. Dolan reveals emotional truth through body language and gesture rather than dialogue, and the effect is a film that will make you laugh and stab you in the gut in equal measure.

Harris Dickinson Shows His Star Potential in ‘Matthias & Maxime'

Matthias & Maxime was one of Harris Dickinson's early roles, and though he only has a few short scenes, he has quite the captivating screen presence. Dickinson plays Kevin McAfee, an enigmatic young lawyer visiting Montréal from Toronto who Matthias is told to take out to lunch and “woo” by his boss. When we first meet Kevin, he walks right past Matthias with his head down and headphones in, bumping into his shoulder without apologizing. Right off the bat, this douchey swagger convinces us that Kevin is a bit of a villain. However, he then breaks into a smile, says he was just trying to mess with Matthias, and gives him a hug. In this first scene, Dickinson establishes that this character has more going on under the surface than he lets on.

Dolan’s Unique Characters of ‘Matthias & Maxime'

Dolan's characters are never what we expect them to be, and this is the case with Kevin. Over lunch with Matthias, he talks about women in crude language and dabs cartoonishly when talking about getting engaged. But then his behavior shifts—he starts speaking perfect French out of nowhere, asking if he is boring Matthias. When Matthias explains he is worried about being late to his friend Maxime's going-away party, Kevin says, "You're very close," hinting he has picked up on potential romantic feelings but without judgment in his tone. Later that night, Kevin and Matthias go out clubbing together, and Kevin tries to make moves on Matthias, who gets up and leaves, leaving Kevin looking lost and jilted.

This performance from Dickinson subverts who we thought would be an antagonist and instead shows a more fascinating puzzle of a person. Dickinson manages to portray an emotionally complex character in only a few minutes. Despite being a small role, the actor's leading man potential is clear early in his career. And according to an interview with Deadline, fans of Dolan should keep an eye out, as there's talk the director has a follow-up to Matthias & Maxime in the works that is set in 1880s France.

Matthias & Maxime is available to stream on Mubi.

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