The acting was good and the music was good, but there was something missing for me. I kept getting the impression that I was supposed to be feeling something, but it just never managed to touch my emotions. There were a few too many cliches perhaps. I also never really felt the connection between the two main characters, we never got to see who Rupert was to Donovan, all the scenes with Donovan pretty much ignored Rupert. Even showing him writing those letters, or what had happened just before he wrote them to prompt the decision to write, or showing him receiving letters from Rupert, would've given me something more to feel about who Donovan was and what this relationship meant to him, but it was completely absent, whereas we got to see and understand Rupert a bit more through the frame of this strange friendship. For a movie centred around this relationship, it felt very lacking that we never see John's investment in it or even a hint of his reasons for engaging in it. Maybe that was a choice and there was a reason for it, but for me personally it was really a hole in the movie that made it difficult for me to be moved, despite seeing that I was supposed to be moved.

'The Death & Life of John F. Donovan' is a mess - even if it's an intriguing one. The English-language debut of Canadian director Xavier Dolan ambitiously tackles themes of fame, privacy, sexuality, growing up, and, of course, mothers and sons but never really digs too deep beneath the surface of the very complicated issues it takes on. And from Green Day's 'Jesus of Suburbia' to Florence + The Machine's 'Stand by Me' and Lifehouse's 'Hanging by a Moment,' Dolan is at his worst when he allows his cringe-worthy choice of music to substitute for a deeper effort to underline his characters' emotional states. Still, at the very least, 'The Death & Life of John F. Donovan' is never boring with the big brassy performances from the movie's generally strong casts.

Dolan beautifully creates an incredibly personal & poignant, hopeful & contemplative movie which in its very essence captures the complexities of the normalcy of people's lives, regardless of their remarkablility, status or situation, illustrating how our mistakes can often act as a catalyst to inspire future generations to unburden themselves of the same insecurities. It's about authenticity, honesty, dignity & perseverance in the face of oppression, additionally acting as a wider criticism regarding the intolerance & prejudice present within the wider film industry.

This is a film which is unafraid to ask a LOT of questions & equally, is also bold enough to answer them with an impressive amount of potential original & refreshing statements - so I won't even speculate about all the possible discussions to be had as this review would surely transpire in to a passionately verbose theological seminar.

Undoubtedly, the pacing of the film is inconsistent & the story is messy but this merely reflects the untidiness of events as they unfold; things aren't pristine, nothing's perfect & instead of chasing the concept of faultlessnes, The Death & Life of John F. Donovan revels in its imperfections: the unapologetically campy cheesiness & the overly sentimental ponderous philosophical interactions. None hindered the viewing experience as it's so joyously confident & daring.