Sad news for Quebec cinema. Director Jean-Marc Vallée died at the age of 58, in his chalet on the outskirts of Quebec City, Canada. A news confirmed by his agent, Bumble Ward. Nobody expected it, not even the HBO television channel, which aired his series “Big Little Lies.”
The chain declared itself “shocked by the news of his sudden death“adding to the Hollywood Reporter that Quebec cinema had lost”a brilliant and conscientious director.“
The director’s colleague and friend, Nathan Ross, with whom he co-founded the production company Crazyrose, confirmed his death: “Jean-Marc had bet on authenticity, doing things differently (…). The maestro will be sorely missed, but it is comforting to know that his magnificent style and work will live on. »
The coronation of the film “C.R.A.Z.Y.” in Canada
It must be said that the career of the director has something to do with the pride of those close to him. After studying cinema at the University of Montreal, Jean-Marc Vallée directed his first feature film “Blacklist” in 1995 at the age of 32. This thriller retraces the trial of a prostitute following she gave the judge the list of her most prestigious clients. “Blacklist” is nominated for 9 prizes, at the Genie awards, a ceremony rewarding Canadian cinema.
Ten years later, in 2005, the Quebec director stands out in another genre with ” C.R.A.Z.Y. ». The film, partly inspired by his life, recounts the ordeals of a homosexual teenager during the Quiet Revolution, a period of major reforms and modernization of the Quebec state in the 1960s.
« C.R.A.Z.Y. » won 10 Genie awards and 13 Jutra awards at two prestigious Canadian ceremonies, in addition to being crowned “best Canadian feature film” at the Toronto International Film Festival.
First Quebec film nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture
Jean-Marc Vallée’s career took off internationally in 2013, with the production of “Dallas Buyers Club.” The film tells the true story of a club creator who allowed American HIV-positive people to obtain drugs available abroad.
It is the first film directed by a Quebecer to be nominated for the Oscar for best film. If this ultimate distinction escapes him, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, who take on two roles in his film, are nevertheless crowned respectively best actor and best actor in a supporting role for their performance.
Beyond his successes in the cinema, Jean-Marc Vallée directs all the episodes of the series “Big Little Lies” in 2017 with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman or Shailene Woodley. For his work, he was awarded the Emmy Award for Best Director. After directing another HBO series, “Sharp Objects”, in 2018, with Amy Adams, Jean-Marc Vallée had planned to return to his first love, cinema. His next feature film was to retrace the story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, but fate decided otherwise.
An important figure in Quebec cinema, the director was obviously the pride of the French-speaking Canadian province. Jean-Marc Vallée had received the honorary title of “Companion of the Order of Arts and Letters of Quebec” in 2018, as well as an officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2021. After the awards, it is now time for tributes.
