Lemire also wanted to explore feelings and psychology through the sexuality lens, giving room to everything other than the act itself, with a micro perspective on Alexe’s experience. Her current state of mind makes her feel lonely and dysphoria seems inevitable.

Alexe is at a point in her life where she feels a bit disconnected and has complicated feelings with desire coming from other people. Motivated to build a story around loneliness, Lemire wanted to center his film on a complex and layered character, without it being the driving force of the film. Writing the first words of Pre-Drink, Lemire instantly had Alexe’s character in mind. A unique story, carried to the screen by two wonderful performances, the director and his crew do an impressive job of making this particular situation feel universal. In Pre-Drink, Marc-Antoine Lemire paints an intimate portrait of friendship, love and our relationship to desire, through the experience of his central character. Alexe just transitioned, and this boozy evening might change the dynamics of their friendship forever as the two decide to have “no strings attached” sex. Some jazz fans may be pleased that Antoine is stretching beyond his usual smooth jazz comfort zone.Alexe and Carl are pre-gaming at her place before meeting up with their friends at a bar. Classical fans probably won't be amused, if they even become aware of the album. Particularly interesting is Antoine's take on Pachelbel's Canon, with presents the melody over a folkish arrangement that recalls the Velvet Underground's 'Sweet Jane.' The album's gimmick doesn't allow Antoine much room for jazz improvisation rather, the jazz creativity lies largely in the arrangements and in the concept itself. And so it goes with warhorses by the likes of Bach, Mozart, and Chopin. He establishes his approach right away with 'Carmen B,' borrowed from, you guessed it, Bizet's Carmen, which pays no attention to the dramatic context the tune had in the original opera, but instead becomes a pretty melody prettily played. Marc Antoine's 'classical way' is to take familiar melodies from the classical repertoire and play them on his nylon-string Spanish guitar over his usual selection of samba, bossa nova, and smooth jazz arrangements.

Marc Antoine torrent