Xavier Dolan says latest film is his best despite mixed reviews in Cannes

Director Xavier Dolan poses for photographers during a photo call for the film Juste La Fin Du Monde (It's Only The End Of The World) at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, France, on Thursday, May 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)

MONTREAL -- "Juste la fin du monde" is Xavier Dolan's best film -- according to Xavier Dolan.

But in contrast with the widespread praise he received for "Mommy" in 2014, the Quebec director's entry in this year's official Cannes Film Festival competition has been met with mixed reviews.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the film's official showing Thursday evening, Dolan said he wasn't overly concerned by the way the film has been greeted by journalists.

"We're at Cannes, all the films divide (opinion)," he said, adding some of his past works such as "Laurence Anyways," "J'ai tue ma mere" ("I Killed My Mother") and "Les amours imaginaires" ("Heartbeats") sparked similar reaction.

"Some films are very well-received, others a bit less," he said. "I'm not necessarily worried."

"Juste la fin du monde" ("It's Only the End of the World") tells the story of a man who returns to his hometown to tell his family he's dying.

And Dolan has no doubts it's his best and most complete film so far.

"I don't prefer it for sentimental reasons," he said. "I prefer it because I know the films I've made and I know the mistakes I've made, and what's interesting with each film is to try to not repeat them."

Although the Cannes jury has yet to weigh in on Dolan's adaptation of Jean-Luc Lagarce's stage play, the 27-year-old director has never hidden his desire to one day win the festival's coveted Palme d'or.

He may have come close two years ago when "Mommy" was rumoured to be in the running until the last minute before instead sharing the Jury prize with Jean-Luc Godard's "Adieu au langage."

Dolan has already had much acclaim at the fest, winning three awards in 2009 for "I Killed My Mother." Last year, he was also a Cannes jury member.

Dolan's father, Manuel Tadros, travelled to Cannes this year to see his son's latest film and made it clear he also shares his offspring's desire for cinematic glory.

"Of course I dream he will get the Palme d'or, like I dreamed he would get it for 'Mommy,"' he told The Canadian Press.

When asked about the mixed reviews, Tadros said he'd heard mostly positive comments.

"It's very positive, from what I'm hearing here," said Tadros, who hadn't yet seen his son's film. "Nothing really negative, just little things...but otherwise, in general, there were people raving about it, who said it was a masterpiece."

But regardless of what the Cannes jury decides, the proud father is unconcerned about the future of his son, who he describes as a "genius spirit" and a "winner."

"He's a boy who has this magic to be able to create his reality, in a way hundreds of others try to do," he said. "I don't know how he manages, with this inner strength he has, to create his reality, to reach his dreams, make them come true...I'm here simply out of paternal love."

The film's cast includes top French actors Vincent Cassel and Marion Cotillard, who both sang the young director's praises at the news conference.

"He's very close (to the actors), he's on the set with us," Cotillard said. "He gives us everything when we film, which obviously makes us want to give him everything (in return)."

Cassel said he was impressed with Dolan's preparation and attention to detail, which he said freed up the actors to give their best performances.

"Everything was prepared, everything was perfectly framed, the lighting was done," he said. "As actors we had only to come on set and just read our lines.

"And when everything is...so prepared, there is a lot of freedom on set."