Lorna Irvine reviews 'an emotionally exhausting, beautiful film'.
As raw as a skinned knee, Xavier Dolan's follow-up to debut feature I Killed My Mother is an emotionally exhausting, beautiful film.
Diane (Anne Dorval) has a teenage son Steve (Antoine-Oliver Pilon) with ADHD, prone to arson, fits and violent outbursts. Desperately scraping together a living, she takes on a series of part-time jobs while Steve is shunted in and out of the system.
It's clear that the proverbial apple didn't fall far from the tree though. Diane, who dresses like a Fleetwood Mac groupie, has her own issues, not least a dead husband, potty mouth and a lack of finesse in social situations.
She communicates with her son in hip-hop speak, and there's an Oedipal streak of lust, admiration and contempt in the boy's eyes whenever Diane's around. Indeed, Pilon does at times resemble a young Eminem, somewhere between swag and intense vulnerability.
When she moves with Steve to a new home, she finds a kindred spirit in a neighbour of a similar age, the enigmatic Kyla (Suzanne Clement) struggling with a severe stutter and undisclosed emotional problems.
Steve and Diane could be the neighbours from Hell, and after ten minutes in their company you'll want to drink, but the love is palpable.
All three leads are superb, particularly Dorval, and the 1:1 aspect ratio in which the film is mostly shot lends a real intimacy.
An unforgettable film, heartbreaking, at times funny, but always directed with a sympathetic eye by Dolan, it provides no easy answers.
"All we have is hope,” says Diane. Mommy is a profound story of just that--hope, unconditional love and, ultimately, survival.
Director:Xavier Dolan. Cast: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Oliver Pilon, Suzanne Clement. Canada, 2014. 2hr 18mins
At Glasgow Film Theatre until 2nd April. www.glasgowfilm.org
Mommy Official International Trailer 1 (2014): http://youtu.be/Q9LVLCYvqSI
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