On Needle Drops

‘The striking opening chords of Lana Del Rey’s “Born to Die” swoop in like a shockwave at the end of Xavier Dolan’s film Mommy. Though the film has been laden with bold music choices (from Oasis to Celine Dion,  Dido to Ludovico Einaudi), the cinematic and ethereal violins ring in a perfect ending as troubled teen Steve escapes the clutches of two guards at the institute he’s been committed to and runs towards an unknown future. It’s a choice The Fader dubbed “a music snob’s worst nightmare”, but Xavier Dolan has become known for choices like this, for popular music taking centre stage and the wealth of genres he pulls from the very definition of eclectic. Since his debut at Cannes in 2009, his needle drops have become iconic in and of themselves. ‘

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You can read the full column here.