To_au84
I have never disliked a character more than I disliked Hubert. Whiny, self-righteous, disrespectful brat. His self entitlement overtakes the majority of the movie and I just mentally switched off. I just wanted to give him a smack for the whole movie. Anne Dorval did a brilliant job as the mother.
gizmomogwai
Just saw Mommy (2014) this week, and what a revelation! Great Canadian film by Montreal filmmaker Xavier Dolan, who was only 25 when he made at, and his since gone on to win the Cannes Grand Prix. My expectations weren't high since the only other film I had seen of his was Laurence Anyways, which was really, really long, and felt longer. A number of critics commented how Mommy was I Killed My Mother inverted, told from the perspective of the mother, so I was curious to check it out. Canada also submitted I Killed My Mother for the Foreign Language Oscar.A number of critics had commented Mommy showed Dolan had matured as a director, and I could understand why after seeing I Killed My Mother. It's OK, but it's not great filmmaking or particularly mature. The protagonist- played by Dolan himself- often struck me as a whining brat. There's often conflict between moms and sons, but whether it's significant enough to be a great film is another story- she's not the worst mom ever. One thing that did impress me was how different Anne Dorval is as the mother in both films- Dolan said he deliberately cast her as opposites, and he wasn't kidding! Shows she's a great actress, and it makes me wonder which character is closer to the real her. Unfortunately, despite its Grand Prix, It's Only the End of the World got panned, but Dolan's still young and likely has a future ahead of him.
zetes
During the recent Cannes Film Festival, while going over tweets on in competition films, the most passionate responses seemed to be for Xavier Dolan's fifth film, Mommy (it ended up winning the Jury prize). I had been hearing good things about Dolan for the past few years (mostly that he was a shockingly great director for someone so young - he directed Mommy when he was only 25 and his first film, I Killed My Mother, at 19), so, his first three films being on Netflix Instant, I decided to take the plunge. And, I must say, the buzz is more than justified. I Killed My Mother, which is most often named as his best work, is an absolutely great film - and, yes, it was directed when Dolan was only 19! It helps that the story is semi-autobiographical - the teenage point of view is very important to the film, and it's easily one of the most honest films ever made about teenagers. What's more amazing is that equal time and empathy is given to the mother character. It's hard to believe a teenage boy would have this much understanding of her point of view. Dolan himself plays Hubert, an arrogant, pretentious 16 year-old who hates his mother (Anne Dorval). While Dorval doesn't come off as a completely innocent character, either, Dolan realizes that his character is kind of a little prick. The two are constantly at each other's throats. There isn't much plot, but it's so beautifully observed. Honestly, while the film is not hard to watch and is actually kind of humorous, this hit so close to home for me that I felt devastated throughout. Both of the leads are wonderful, particularly Dorval (she also stars in Mommy, which is something of a sequel, at least in spirit). I should also mention that Dolan is a world class filmmaker. One would expect the actual cinema to be sloppy, but he pays a lot of attention to his visual compositions. This is absolutely fantastic.
thomas timmins
its a shame i cant mark this higher than 10 because i just finished watching this and i found it as an amazing piece of work that portrayed the complexities of which many people would see as a normal relationship. i honestly loved this film and i'am very particular about how a person is developed in a storyline and how everything works and this semi- autobiography brought together everything i love in a film. it is quite sad though that it only got released in a couple countries because film now deserves something that can reach different aspects of peoples lives with great acting. it does sound like i'am over reacting but you have to watch the film to know why i reiterate how good it is. this is a must watch
AD
