Xavier Dolan says latest at Cannes is his 'best film' yet

Xavier Dolan's latest filmpremiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday to mixed reviews, but the Quebec filmmaker says it's the best film he's done so far in his career.

Juste la fin dumonde, featuring actors Vincent Cassel, Marion Cotillard andLa Seydoux, is based on a play byJean-Luc Lagarce about a man who returns home after a long absence, only to tell his family that he is about to die.

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Dolan,speaking at the Cannes press conference, says he is not worried about the reviews.

"There are some great reviews that have been published," he said.

"Maybe it takes a little while for the film to come to life and for people to not only watch it, but to listen to it. But to me, this is my best film."

'I really wanted to work with him'

"It was an amazing experience," actress Marion Cotillard said of working with Dolan."I loved the film."

When she first read the screenplay, Cotillardwasn't sure about the character he wanted her to play.

But she signed up to play the role so that she could work with Dolan.

La Seydouxcalled Dolan a rare type of a director, one with precision.

"We love Xavier, and we all want to be loved by him," she said.

"I am so proud of this film."

Vanity Fair eviscerates Dolan

In his review of Dolan's film, Vanity Fair film critic Richard Lawson does not mince words when he calls it "the most disappointing film at Cannes."

Lawson says the gay plays of the 1990s should be respected for their significance.

"I think it's best to just put this mess behind us and look forward, with an uneasier optimism than before, to what Dolan does next,"Lawson writes.

"He got this disaster out of his system, the world didn't end (but, man, is this film a letdown), and now the future awaits."