'Mommy' is mostly gaudy shout-fests
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.
'Mommy' stars Anne Dorval (l.) and Antoine Olivier Pilon (r.).
Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
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.)