Widowed for the past three years, forty-six year old Diane performs a series of odd jobs in order to make an honest living. Feisty and free-spirited, Diane sees her loner status change when she decides to remove her fifteen year old son, Steve, from imposed institutionalization. Steve was institutionalized due to his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and violent outbursts, but Diane is compelled to have him come live with her, unable to send him to the more restrictive juvenile detention for rehabilitation. Together, the two attempt to make up for lost time, trying to create a family again, even seeking the aid of Kyla, a peculiar new neighbor who offers to help. Xavier Dolan's Mommy is an emotionally energized film about two deeply flawed individuals attempting to create a family. Focusing on the maternal bond between mother and child, Xavier Dolan creates a powerful examination of family, love, and loss, that captures the raw emotions of its characters better than most films. Both Steve and Diane are rough around the edges, each unable to sort out their own lives, and that dynamic is what makes Mommy so compelling, as Diane and Steve attempt to articulate their own feelings and desires to one and other. They are both deeply wounded individuals who aren't used to being around family, aren't used to love, aren't used to expressing their feelings, and the dynamic of these two characters trying to form a bond is endlessly compelling. Mommy's narrative mirrors its protagonists, presenting an instability to the plight of these two characters, which in turn brings the film to life, delivering what feels like a very organic experience. Dolan's decision to shoot the film in a 1:1 aspect ratio is distracting at first but it soon becomes an important tool in hammering home the film's themes. This tight composition gives the viewer an intimacy with its characters but it also presents their closed off state emotionally, as Steve and Diane both have grown accustomed to being alone. The ratio briefly does change, going full widescreen, representing a sense of freedom felt in its characters who for at least a moment, feel loved and part of a family. An emotionally poignant examination of what it means to call someone family, Xavier Dolan's Mommy is a unique, emotionally energized experience that very much could be his most mature film to date.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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