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JO FOR JONATHAN captures the adolescent life of its main protagonist with great delicacy and control. A water bottle left on top of a car dances to the rhythm of the car's (unheard) sound system - it parallels the inner turmoil of Jonathan (Raphael Lacaille) as he deals with his failures and his guilt. Having failed his driving test, he decides to pretend that he passed and unwittingly kickstarts a chain of events which begins with illegal car racing and ends with an irretrievable separation from his much-adored older brother. JO FOR JONATHAN offers no glamourised version of what it means to grow up in Canadian Quebecois suburbia, but its honesty and cinematic achievement make director Maxime Giroux a serious talent to watch.

'Raphael Lacaille is impressive' - VARIETY

Print source: Films Boutique