★★★★★

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am in love with Xavier Dolan's work. But that also meant that for his English-language debut, I had pretty high expectations going into the film - and it's safe to say those expectations have been exceeded. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan is a beautiful and insightful take on the secret humaneness of celebrity culture, authenticity, sexuality, how our relationships inform who we are, and above all, it celebrates dreamers. Despite the different language, this is distinctly a Dolan film, and is supported by Kit Harrington and Jacob Tremblay's superb performances in particular. It is a powerful thing to be watching a film that will hopefully be a beacon of hope for young people. In the words of Dolan himself just before the film screened, spoken in reference to what he would have thought had he seen this movie as a 10-year-old boy, "If someone like Jon Snow can be gay, then I'll be alright."