(Co-Winner of the Jury Prize w/ Goodbye to Language at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival)
Written, edited, costume designed, and directed by Xavier Dolan, Mommy is the story of a widow who is trying to raise her teenage son as she seeks the help from her neighbor where things improve but only for a brief moment. The film is an examination into a relationship between a mother and her teenage son who is very outgoing and rebellious. Starring Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, and Suzanne Clement. Mommy is an astonishing yet intense film from Xavier Dolan.
The film revolves around a widowed mother who is trying her best to raise her ADHD son who is known for being violent and very troubled as they move in to a new place where they get the help of a neighbor who would bring the best in both of them. It’s a film that isn’t just an exploration into a troubled relationship between a mother and her teenage son but also a film that plays into a mother trying to get her own life but also wonder if there’s hope for her son. The film also plays into their situation as it relates to a fictionalized law that would play into what Diane “Die” Despres (Anne Dorval) would have to do for her son Steve (Antoine Oliver-Pilon).
Xavier Dolan’s screenplay doesn’t exactly follow a traditional structure as it is very loose with its narrative as it is more of a character study between Die and Steve’s relationship. Die is a woman that is still trying to hold on to her youth through the clothes she wears as the film begins with her in an accident where she loses her car and is in even worse debt. Adding to the chaos is Steve who has been kicked out of an institution over an incident that he caused that would later haunt both of them as mother and son are forced to start over. In this quiet suburb where the uncontrollable Steve and the overwhelmed Die live, they meet a new neighbor in Kyla (Suzanne Clement) who is a schoolteacher on break as she also has a terrible stutter. Kyla’s presence not only makes things easier but also add a new dynamic to the family as she would be Steve’s teacher and be able to control him while Die would work.
The relationship of the two women and a teenage boy would be an intriguing one as Kyla is someone that is in need to feel alive again even though she has a family. Yet, she remains haunted by something in her family life that doesn’t allow her to connect with her family as the presence of Die and Steve would help her. Die would feel easy with Kyla around to watch over Steve as it would give her the chance to find some work as well as live her own life. Yet, one notable flaw about Die is that she can be irresponsible and selfish as she is also trying to be young. For Steve, he is someone that is very troubled as it is clear that not having a father has affected him to the point where he’s acting out. Yet, he’s not really a bad kid but someone that is in need of attention as there’s a key scene in its third act where Steve is pushed to the edge as he is just trying to do something fun without harming anyone. Yet, it’s a moment that would force Die to ponder not just her own future but also Steve’s future if is ever going to have one.
Dolan’s direction is very unique not just for the intimacy that he creates but also in the aspect ratio in which he would create for this film. Shot in a 1:1 aspect ratio which is similar to what is often presented in cell phone video cameras through social media. It’s a format that is very entrancing on a visual scale where it does a lot to bring a lot of coverage to some of the film’s close-ups and medium shots. It’s also used a visual tool to display some of the emotional moments as it relates to Die and Steve’s relationship. Even as it has something that feels very claustrophobic in its framing where it plays into something that is unsettling and also scary due to some of Steve’s violent outbursts. Most notably a scene where he buys his mother groceries and a gift as Die is convinced that he stole those things as the two have a fight.
There’s a couple moments in the film where the film is presented in a traditional widescreen format as it plays into not just the happy moments involving Die, Steve, and Kyla but also in a sequence as it plays into what Die hopes for Steve to have in the future. The frame would open and close in these moments as it would intensify by the film’s third act as it relates to not just an incident that Steve caused early in the film but also the pressure for Die to make sure that her son doesn’t get into serious trouble. Also serving as the film’s editor and costume designer, Dolan maintains that sense of energy as it relates to Steve where he does use some fast-cuts but also knows when to slow things down as he does put in a lot style into the editing. As for the costumes, it also adds to the film’s visual tone as it shows who these people are where both Die and Steve are eager to look and feel young while Kyla is more conservative to play into her shy personality.
Still, Dolan maintains something is lively but also wondrous as it plays into this turbulent and complicated relationship between a mother and son as well as this outsider who tries to bring the best in both of them. Even as someone like Die is trying to balance what she wants in her own life and the hope that she has for her son while knowing that if things don’t go her own way. There is this law Overall, Dolan crafts a very chilling yet exhilarating film about a mother trying to help and ground her already troubled son.
Cinematographer Andre Turpin does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography to play up the film‘s very colorful and entrancing look from its locations in Quebec to the usage of lights for some of the film‘s interior settings. Art director Colombe Ray and set decorator Jean-Charles Claveau do fantastic work with the look of Die and Steve‘s home which is a bit of mess as it plays into their turbulent relationship. Makeup designer Maina Militza does nice work with the look of Die’s hair and some of the makeup she wears to look young. Sound designer Sylvain Brassard does brilliant work with the sound to capture some of the chaotic moments that occur in the drama along with some of the livelier moments in the film. The film’s music by Noia is excellent for its somber yet enchanting ambient score that plays into the drama while the soundtrack features a diverse array of music from Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, Dido, Counting Crows, Beck, Lana Del Rey, Andrea Bocelli, Simple Plan, Oasis, and many others as it’s one of the film’s highlights.
The film’s cast includes some notable small roles from Michele Lituac as the institution chief who would release Steve to his mother, Isabelle Nelisse as Kyla’s daughter, Patrick Huard as an attorney Die would go out with in the film’s third act, and Alexandre Goyette as Kyla’s husband Patrick who would watch some of Kyla’s time with Die and Steve from afar. Suzanne Clement is incredible as Kyla as this woman with a stutter who befriends Die and Steve as she would bring a great sense of balance into their lives as well as being able to defuse some of the tension as it’s a very understated yet intoxicating performance.
Antoine-Olivier Pilon is remarkable as Steve as a young, hyperactive teenager who is trying to please his mother while being very violent and troubled as it’s a performance that is quite complex as he brings a lot of layers to his character. Finally, there’s Anne Dorval in a phenomenal performance as Die as this woman that is trying to retain her youth as well as be a responsible mother where Dorval brings a sense of charm and energy to her performance as she also be just as intense as Pilon as it is really one hell of a performance.
Mommy is a magnificent film from Xavier Dolan that features top-notch performances from Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, and Suzanne Clement. The film isn’t just one of Dolan’s more accessible features but also an engaging story about a tumultuous yet wild relationship between a mother and her son. Even as it manages to be told with such style as well as not being afraid of making the audience feel very uncomfortable. In the end, Mommy is an outstanding film from Xavier Dolan.
Xavier Dolan Films: I Killed My Mother - Heartbeats - Laurence Anyways - Tom at the Farm - (It's Only the End of the World) - The Death and Life of John F. Donovan - Matthias & Maxime - (The Night Logan Woke Up) - The Auteurs #46: Xavier Dolan
© thevoid99 2015
Written, directed, and edited by Xavier Dolan, Laurence Anyways is the story about a relationship between a woman and a transgender woman that spans a decade through many trials and tribulations. The film is a love story that is unlike anything as it explores two women in which one of them is born a man as it strays from the conventions of many romantic films. Starring Melvil Poupaud, Suzanne Clement, Monia Chokri, Yves Jacques, David Savard, and Nathalie Baye. Laurence Anyways is a tremendous and exhilarating film from Xavier Dolan.
Set in the span of a decade till the end of the millennium, the film plays into a tumultuous relationship between a woman and a man who wants to become a woman. It’s a film that plays into this relationship where this man named Laurence (Melvil Poupaud) questions his own identity four years into a relationship with this woman named Fred (Suzanne Clement) as this decision would send everything into a freefall as Fred wonders how she can help him. There in this on-and-off period that spans of a decade, Laurence and Fred not only deal with each other but also themselves where Laurence wonders if he can become a woman while Fred ponders if she can accept Laurence as a woman. What Xavier Dolan does with this story is showcase this man’s desire to become a woman as he wonders if he will be happier as a woman and could do that with Fred.
Dolan’s screenplay is quite complex and grand since it’s a story that does span a decade though it has a very odd structure. Much of the film’s first half takes place from the fall of 1989 to the end of 1990 where Laurence not only deals with his own identity issues but also into how Fred would react and the response from their own families. Whereas Fred tries to help Laurence with becoming and acting like a woman by wearing a dress, earrings, and putting on makeup. Still, it’s an act that would have Laurence lose his job as a literature teacher as several things would lead to issues with Fred. Its second half would be set in 1995 and beyond where both Laurence and Fred lead different lives but still pine for each as Laurence would write a book of poems dedicated to her as they would get a glimpse of the life they would have if they ever get together for good.
Dolan’s direction is truly intoxicating not just in his approach to framing but in exactly how he manages to capture every attention to detail in his direction. While it is a film that largely emphasizes on style, Dolan’s approach to compositions and how he frames his actors into a scene are just hypnotic as well as his camera movements and how he places the camera for a scene. Dolan goes for moments that play into elements of dramatic tension or something has elements of fantasy in a world that is often quite troubling. Dolan’s approach to close-ups and medium shots are engaging along with some unique camera angles that play into some of the humor but mostly for dramatic effect to showcase the anguish between Fred and Laurence.
Also serving as the film’s editor, Dolan definitely maintains a sense of style in his approach as editor where he uses a lot of jump-cuts, slow-motion cuts, and other aspects of cutting styles to play into some of the dramatic tension as well as this entrancing opening sequence where people stare at this mysterious person. It’s among these moments where Dolan’s approach to editing and in his direction definitely showcase what he is going to do while his approach to the story is a slow burn to play into Fred and Laurence’s relationship with its many ups and downs. Much of is quite expansive in its storytelling as it plays into the decade in the life of a couple where Dolan knows that there’s a lot to be told as it’s a long film at 168 minutes yet he makes every moment and every frame worth telling. Overall, Dolan crafts a compelling yet visceral film about a relationship between a woman and a man who wants to become a woman.
Cinematographer Yves Belanger does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and stylish photography with its use of color filters for interior scenes at night along with some unique lighting and vibrant colors for the scenes set in the snow. Production designer Anne Pritchard, along with art director Colombe Raby and set decorators Louis Dandonneau and Pascale Deschenes, does amazing work with the set design from the apartment Fred and Laurence lived in during the film‘s first half as well as the home of their parents to the posh home that Fred lived in during the film‘s second half as well as the party sequence that Fred goes to. Costume designers Xavier Dolan and Francois Barbeau do fantastic work with the clothes that Fred and Laurence wear as it’s full of style in its look and personality as it adds to the film’s evocative look.
Hair designers Michelle Cote and Martin Lapointe, with makeup designers Kathy Kelso and Colleen Quinton, do awesome work with the look of the characters as well as Laurence‘s look as a woman and the hairstyle of Fred throughout the years. Visual effects supervisor Jean-Francois Ferland does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects in the film that play into the sense of fantasy surrounding the characters. Sound editor Sylvain Brassard does superb work with the sound from some of the sparse textures of the sound in the locations to some of the crazy elements in the film. The film’s music by Noia is phenomenal as its electronic-ambient score is entrancing that plays into some of the melancholic elements of the film while its soundtrack features an array of music from classical pieces by Sergei Prokofiev, Antonio Vivaldi, Johannes Brahms, and Gustav Mahler to contemporary music from acts like Fever Ray, the Cure, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Visage, Kim Carnes, Celine Dion, and Craig Armstrong.
The casting by Helene Rousse is incredible as it features notable small roles from Yves Jacques as Laurence’s fellow teacher/mentor Lafortune, Monique Spaziani as another teacher in Francine, Mylene Jampanoi and Jacob Tierney as a couple Fred and Laurence meet late in the film, Vincent Plouffe as Fred’s son Leo, Sophie Faucher as Fred’s mother, Vincent Davy as Laurence’s father, and Susie Almgren as a journalist interviewing Laurence late in the film. In the roles of this family of drag queens that Laurence meets, there’s Catherine Begin, Emmanuel Schwartz, Jacques Lavallee, Perette Souplex, and Patricia Tulasne in very lively and funny roles as this family that would help guide Laurence into finding herself. Magalie Lepine Blondeau is terrific as Laurence’s mid-90s girlfriend Charlotte who knows about his feelings for Fred as she would stalk her from afar while David Savard is superb as Fred’s husband in the mid-90s that she would meet at a party as he tries to deal with her mood swings.
Monia Chokri is fantastic as Fred’s very cynical and biting sister Stefie who isn’t very fond of Laurence as well as she tries to see that Fred is thinking about as it’s a role filled with lots of humor. Nathalie Baye is brilliant as Laurence’s mother Julienne as a woman who doesn’t seem close to Laurence as she was in his childhood as she suddenly becomes closer to him once he decides to become a woman. Suzanne Clement is outstanding as Fred as this filmmaker that is trying to cope with her career but also the change in the man she loves as she tries to support him as she conveys the sense of anguish and rage that a woman goes through in her devotion to the one she loves. Finally, there’s Melvil Poupaud in a tremendous performance as Laurence as this man who becomes confused about his own identity as he becomes a woman as it’s a very engaging and transformative performance where Poupaud brings in that sense of anguish but also desire to find himself as a woman.
Laurence Anyways is a magnificent film from Xavier Dolan that features remarkable performances from Melvil Poupaud and Suzanne Clement. It’s a film that isn’t afraid to use style to tell a story about transgender relationships and other off-the-wall things while creating something is also very accessible and bold. Especially in ways that are visually entrancing with a soundtrack that is just absolutely to the point that plays into the emotional aspects of the film. In the end, Laurence Anyways is a sensational film from Xavier Dolan.
Xavier Dolan Films: I Killed My Mother - Heartbeats - Tom at the Farm - Mommy - (It's Only the End of the World) - The Death and Life of John F. Donovan - Matthias & Maxime - (The Night Logan Woke Up) - The Auteurs #46: Xavier Dolan
© thevoid99 2015
Written, directed, co-costume designed, and starring Xavier Dolan, J’ai tue ma mere (I Killed My Mother) is the story of a 16-year old boy’s troubled relationship with his mother as he loves and hates her. The film is an exploration into a relationship between a single-divorced mother and her son as it’s told from the perspective of a young man confused by his relationship with his mother as he’s also coping with growing pains. Also starring Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clement, and Francois Arnaud. J’ai tue ma mere is a harrowing yet evocative film from Xavier Dolan.
The film explores a love-hate relationship between a 16-year old boy and his mother in the suburbs near Montreal as their relationship deteriorates in the course of a few months as it would lead to chaos and other things that played into their disintegrating relationship. Much of it is told by Hubert Minel (Xavier Dolan) as he would shoot his own video confessions to express how he loves and hates his mother Chantale Lemming (Anne Dorval) where Hubert wants to please her but also is annoyed by her. It’s a film that may have a simple story but one that is filled with a lot of complexities into a mother-son relationship as it raises questions into whether Hubert is the wild one as he’s always angry while Chantale is aloof at times where she’s often distracted by her own needs as she also changes her mind frequently. It adds to this relationship that is very tumultuous as Xavier Dolan expresses a young man’s growing frustration but also a woman feeling unappreciated and detached from her son.
Dolan’s screenplay is really more of a character study rather than a traditional script that follows this young man’s relationship with his mother. Especially as Hubert is also gay as he’s in a relationship with his classmate Antonin (Francois Arnaud) as Antonin’s mother Helene (Patricia Tulasne) is open about it but Chantale knows nothing about Hubert’s relationship with Antonin. When Chantale does find out, it adds to the already growing tension where her anger and strange actions would lead to Hubert seeking refuge at the home of his teacher Julie Cloutier (Suzanne Clement) who is concerned about Hubert’s well-being as she also notices his gift as a writer and painter. It’s something that Chantale doesn’t really know about as things do get more complicated when Hubert’s estranged father Richard (Pierre Chagnon) appears with some news that only increased Hubert’s hatred towards his mother.
The film’s second half does change a bit once Hubert is put into a different situation and into a different world as it plays into more of Hubert’s own melancholia as well as trying to figure when he and his mother were happy. It also forces him to reflect on who he is and why he is always causing trouble as the third act also plays into Chantale’s own realization about her role as a mother.
Dolan’s direction is quite mesmerizing as it has something that has a cinema verite style in its digital video look but it’s also quite rich in the way it conveys a sense of fantasy in Hubert’s desire for a good relationship with his mother. There’s also elements that feels real in the way Dolan uses hand-held cameras while shooting in black-and-white for his confessional scenes that are very intimate with its usage of close-ups and extreme close-ups. There’s also some 8mm footage that is shown to convey the happier times between a young Hubert and Chantale as it represents what their relationship once was as opposed to the sense of tension and turmoil that looms in their present relationship. Even as Dolan frames his characters in unique positions through medium and wide shots to play into that growing tension.
The approach to framing and how Dolan creates a lot of these mesmerizing images along with stylish insert montages add to the beauty of the film. Especially as these montages play into Hubert’s own fantasy and views about what he thinks about his mother and himself. Dolan’s usage of blurs and slow-motions for some scenes at night as well as some of the film’s emotional moments showcases Hubert’s rage. The third act definitely plays to that sense of breakdown in their relationship where both Hubert and Chantale are lost as they’re trying to understand each other from afar. Even as there’s a very chilling moment involving Chantale about her role as a mother which is a very intense moment in the film. Overall, Dolan creates a very eerie but enthralling film about a complex and tumultuous relationship between a son and his mother.
Cinematographers Stephanie Weber Biron and Nicolas Canniccioni do amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its rich yet low-key look for many of the film‘s nighttime exterior scenes along with unique lighting for the interior scenes along with some gorgeous look in the daytime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Helene Girard does brilliant work with the editing with its very stylish approach to jump-cuts, slow-motion cuts, fast-cuts, and montages as it adds to the film‘s very offbeat tone. Set decorator Anette Belley does excellent work with the look of the home that Hubert and Chantale live in as well as Antonin’s home and how it plays into the personality of those characters.
Co-costume designer Nicole Petellier, along with Dolan, does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish yet casual look of Hubert to the clothes that Chantale wears as it crosses the line between tacky and revolting which plays to the film‘s offbeat look and style. Visual effects supervisor Martin Lipmann does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects as it plays to a few of the fantasy sequences in the film. Sound designer Sylvain Brassard does excellent work with the sound to convey some of the sparse moments in Hubert and Chantale‘s home as well as some of the scenes that occur in the places the characters go to. The film’s music by Nicholas Savard-L’Herbier is wonderful as it’s also quite sparse in its melancholic tone with its piano-based score while the soundtrack is a mixture of classical, pop, and electronic music.
The film’s superb cast features notable small roles from Benoit Gouin as a school principal who talks to Chantale late in the film, Monique Spaziani as Chantale’s friend Denise, Patricia Tulasne as Antonin’s mother, Niels Schneider as a classmate Hubert meets in the film’s third act, and Pierre Chagnon as Hubert’s estranged father who appears to confront him with his mother in a very intense scene. Francois Arnaud is terrific as Hubert’s boyfriend Antonin who copes with Hubert’s mood as well as trying to help him as he wonders how much trouble he could get into. Suzanne Clement is fantastic as Hubert’s teacher who is amazed by his artistic talents as well as sympathetic over his unhappy home.
Anne Dorval is phenomenal as Chantale as this woman who is eager to reclaim aspects of her youth while dealing with Hubert’s many moods and the secrets that she doesn’t know about him as it’s a very intense and complex performance from the actress. Finally, there’s Xavier Dolan in a remarkable performance as Hubert as this angry young teenager who copes with his mother’s frequent forgetfulness and the sense of neglect as he acts out while displaying a sensitivity and torment that most teenagers go through in unhappy homes.
J’ai tue ma mere is an incredible film from Xavier Dolan that features powerful performances from Dolan and Anne Dorval. The film is definitely a very stylish but engaging tale about a young man’s troubled and complicated relationship with his mother. Especially as Dolan pulls no punches in creating characters who are very dysfunctional and maybe don’t have the tools to be mothers and sons. In the end, J’ai tue ma mere is a sensational film from Xavier Dolan.
Xavier Dolan Films: Heartbeats - Laurence Anyways - Tom at the Farm - Mommy - (It's Only the End of the World) - The Death and Life of John F. Donovan - Matthias & Maxime - (The Night Logan Woke Up) - The Auteurs #46: Xavier Dolan
© thevoid99 2015
