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'Mommy' is mostly gaudy shout-fests

( R ) ( Monitor Movie Guide )

The movie stars Anne Dorval as a single mother who does what she can to control and calm her highly troubled son (Antoine Olivier Pilon). Much of the film is redeemed by Dorval鈥檚 performance.

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Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
'Mommy' stars Anne Dorval (l.) and Antoine Olivier Pilon (r.).
  • By Peter Rainer Film critic

The 25-year-old French-Canadian writer-director Xavier Dolan has聽a heady flamboyance that is sometimes mistaken by cineastes for high聽artistry. 鈥淢ommy,鈥� his latest, has its powerful moments, but too much聽of it is show-offy in ways that have more to do with camera moves than聽dramatic truth.It鈥檚 about the relationship between a highly troubled youth, Steve聽(Antoine Olivier Pilon), and his single mother Diane (Anne Dorval).聽Steve is full of rages and recriminations 鈥� a real handful. Diane does what聽she can to control him and calm him.聽

I suppose the relationship is Oedipal聽or primal or something or other, but mostly it鈥檚 just an excuse for Dolan to聽stage a series of gaudy shout-fests. Much of the film, however, is redeemed聽by Dorval鈥檚 performance, which somehow makes emotional sense out of聽Diane鈥檚 many exhilarations and exasperations. Grade:聽C+ (Rated R for language throughout, sexual references and some violence.)

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