Mommy
January. 23,2015 RA peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.
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Reviews
You won't be disappointed!
Am i the only one who thinks........Average?
Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
One thing that struck me was the incredible attention to detail that Dolan possesses. As we learn about Dies financial problems and struggles with making ends meet one scene in particular backs up this statement. The nail polish bottles in the refrigerator. A thing that people who buy cheap nail polish is familiar with and such a beautiful use of mise-en-scene. The film works solely because of Dolans unique attention to detail and is a delight to watch because of it.
When I thought of watching 'Mommy' there were two factors which militated against it. One was language barrier. The movie is in fluent French and I know from experience that a lot of meaning is lost in translation via subtitles. Second was the cultural barrier. Being a middle-class conservative Indian, I usually find it difficult to connect with many foreign thematic films. But to my sheer surprise, 'Mommy' was a complete riot – far better and stimulating than 'Batman vs Superman' crap which I crawled through the previous day. 'Mommy' is one of those movies where screenplay moves fast yet the story unfolds slowly. This ingenuity shifts the film from art-house to entertaining realm. 2-3 months of characters' lives take around 130 minutes of screen time which give ample time for all details to unfold. Despite the subject matter being serious, the film never appears to be dry. Thorough importance is given to character development. I must add that I haven't seen such marvelous character development in my recent history of film-watching. We get to know and empathize with all idiosyncrasies of the characters. We laugh and cringe with the on-screen characters. The plot of the film is not predictable at all. Just when you think you figured out what is happening the story throws up a new dimension. At places hidden emotional feelings of Patrick are insinuated which compel the viewer to churn his mind. Die's dream sequence towards the end of the film showing Patrick's life successful and happy was truly surreal and well placed - a mother's dream for his son. Overall, 'Mommy' is the finest Canadian film I saw in a long time. The film is truly a riot - an excellent piece of cinema.
'Mommy' is the fifth film from 26 year old writer/director Xavier Dolan. Who burst into the film making scene with 'Tom at the Farm' and now 'Mommy'. If there is one clear fact about Dolan it's that his films display a sense of maturity and restraint seldom found in directors twice his age. After watching 'Mommy' this is even more clear. It is quite possibly the most raw film from 2015. It follows a mother and her only son. Diane, a widow, has been hardened by lifes constant beatings. And is trying her hardest to raise a son that is prone to aggressive behavior. He throws temper tantrums, breaks things, and is in constant search of a fight. Needless to say, this film is difficult to watch at times. But It's a bold testament to how great a film can be when you have deeply fleshed out characters. Who, at first, seem like very unpleasant people to be around. But just like their across the street neighbor they some how grow on you.Whether it's the awkward dance parties they have or the total lack of social awareness I couldn't say. But one thing is clear, these characters feel undoubtedly real. Dolan has written people that you can not only relate to but feel for as if you stood right beside them in the best, and worst times.Each hard decision they make will send one into a panic as it does the characters. Through all the crap the film puts its characters through it's somehow a magnetic watch. In fact it seems to dare you to take your eyes from the screen. Even for the shortest second used to look away can easily cost you a heart wrenching scene or beautiful moment between mother and son.But all this wouldn't have been possible without this films performances. Each actor involved in 'Mommy' delivers an unflinchingly honest portrayal of their respective character. They are absolutely breathtaking to watch and display superb chemistry between each other.This is all captured by exquisite direction and cinematography. The film is shot mainly in a 1:1 aspect ratio, or a perfect square. This choice helps to elevate the emotional impact of each scene. It creates a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere that is meant to show how the characters are feeling, as if the walls are closing in around them.'Mommy' is a seriously impressive all around film. The direction, cinematography, post work, performances, and script are polished to perfection. And the result is a brilliant, undeniably original piece of cinema. It may have a few minor issues here and there but rarely do they detract from this visceral experience.
Diane 'Die' Després is an outrageous widow struggling with her troubled volatile son Steve after getting kicked out of the detention center. There is a new law to institutionalize disturbed people but Die won't hear of it. Her male boss is gone and the new female boss is immune to her tricks. After a violent outburst by Steve, their mousy neighbor Kyla comes over to help out. She's a teacher on sabbatical suffering from speech problems.These are volatile performances. At 30 minutes, there is a crazy confrontation that takes the movie to another level. The middle does meander a bit. I think a few violent confrontations would be quite compelling and would add to the reason why Die ultimately does in the end. It's also a bit too extended. I recommend this for the great volatile acting.