Wholly cinematic, formally audacious, and made with a clear passion for expanding upon the notion of what constitutes “personal cinema,” Xavier Dolan’s emotionally draining film Mommy is a tour de force for everyone involved. Films like this will definitely provoke some sort of response from the viewer, and whether it’s a good or bad reaction will depend on how open you are as a viewer to be put in the middle of a sad family dynamic that might hit too close to home for some. …This is an often times painful domestic drama that unflinchingly stares directly into the face of familial madness without offering any easy solutions to the various problems that are highlighted during the beyond intense two hour and 20 minute runtime. Shot in a perfect square aspect ratio of 1:1, this unusual format allows for the harsh yet gorgeous visuals to gather an extraordinarily intimate head of steam, bringing the audience extremely close to the action, with characters often times busting out of the confines of the frame. And then, during two flights of fancy that strongly tie into the film’s central themes of freedom and regret, Dolan’s film opens up into 1.85:1, allowing a breath of fresh air for everyone, including the audience, as we continue to observe a tragic situation getting all the more dangerous as it progresses. The three central performances are staggering, and it’s a crime that the Academy didn’t pay any attention to this incredibly confident piece of cinema, one that challenges the viewer at almost every turn, asking them to go on an unpredictable ride with loose-cannon characters that can never be tamed. A general plot description: The phenomenal Anne Dorval stars as Diane, “Die” for short, a saucy, widowed mother who is totally consumed and overwhelmed with the struggle of raising her mentally troubled and sometimes physically violent son Steve (Antoine Olivier Pilon, in a mesmerizing performance of anger and rage). Diane and Steve have a strange, sometimes borderline questionable relationship; think Cyrus but even more oedipal. Along comes an odd and possibly sick (mentally or physically it’s never explained but there’s just something…off about her…) neighbor named Kyla (the intriguing Suzanne Clément) who forms a unique bond and friendship with both Diane and Steve, which leads to some truly unexpected developments and moments of harsh truth for everyone involved. I’ve never seen a film like Mommy, it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering where it was headed next, Dolan’s filmmaking chops totally smacked me upside my head, and I’m now forced to track down the other four films that this 25 year old filmmaker has made over the last five years. This is an unforgettable piece of storytelling and filmmaking.
Podcasting Them Softly 