The Fireflies Are Gone

I can't remember the last time I watched a French-language film with such likeable characters. It might be because it's actually a Canadian film. I ended up at this screening by accident, and it blew me away. Maybe it was fate that my lack of attention led me to a film I hadn't planned to see, but I'm so glad it did. The synopsis didn't catch my eye; it seemed like a typical coming-of-age drama, one of many released each year — nothing I felt compelled to watch. Oh, how wrong I was! For some, this might seem like just another movie, but it hit me on every level. This unexpected experience felt like a lightning bolt from a clear sky, as if *The Fireflies Are Gone* was speaking directly to me. I completely understood Léo — her feelings, uncertainties, her reflections on life, and her journey through a crucial phase of her life. A significant part of the film is her relationship with the kind-hearted rocker Steve, another key character. Unlike Léo, who is still figuring herself out, Steve is dealing with burnout from unfulfilled dreams. Léo's relationships with her father, mother, and stepfather were also portrayed in intriguing and sometimes unexpected ways. Léo reminded me a bit of Linda Cardellini in Freaks and Geeks —intelligent, beautiful, charismatic, and a bit of a rebel, but with good reason. Being different from most people isn't easy, and as Léo's horoscope says at the end of the film, the chances of finding a soulmate these days are slim, but if it happens, it's monumental. (06/30/2018)