Mama

(49th KVIFF) A serious competitor to Wolf of Wall Street for the most profanities per minute. A perfectly acted, sped-up emotional rollercoaster with amazing video-clip sequences wonderfully supported by brilliantly chosen songs (which makes quite some sense: choose a strong and well-known song, and half the work is done) that brought goosebumps. I was excited throughout and said that if the ending blows me away, this would be the festival’s most intense experience. But it didn’t. The character of the neighbour is surrounded by secrets all the time, but in the end it was nothing. For now, only four stars, but I feel it will grow. I’d love to watch it again. /// Edit: Now I can say that Mommy is hands down the film I think about the most, by far. It’s a bit what Dolan wants… so what. If it works, I don’t see anything wrong with attempting to make an exceptional film. And this one is so impressive, that I know want to watch his entire filmography. The idea of changing the format of the image is great. (10.07.2014)

Dolan views the tension between a son and his mother from the opposite perspective than in his debut. The narrative is structured by Diane’s desire to make space for herself without disrupting her fragile alliance with Steve. For the characters (and perhaps also for viewers who are not prepared for the theatrical acting and stylistic excesses), this is a draining cycle of hysterical arguments and subsequent reconciliations from which there is no way out. The moments of absolute freedom are brief, but they are extremely intense thanks to the coordination of the protagonists’ mental states and the chosen stylistic devices. Perhaps Dolan’s lack of formalistic discipline is merely a manifestation of the director’s need to show off, but we can also see it as an expression of the chaotic tangle of the roles that Steve and Diane have to play when confronted with the outside, less melodramatically excessive world. In my opinion, the kitschy music-video sequences, the vulgar humour and the salute to Kevin McCallister are reflections not only of Dolan’s filmmaking indiscipline, but also of the inner world of the characters. The film loses perspective for some time in the second half, whose annoyingly exhibitionistic nature is nevertheless redeemed by the subversive climax. Fulfilment of the formula of maternal melodrama, as the film has presented itself to this point, happens only in the dream sequence. The actual ending of the film is at least as equally ambivalent as the ending of Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, which Mommy references in its final shot. 75% (30.12.2014)

Xavier Dolan is growing up. He’s capable of depicting in detail the evolution of the complicated relationships of three characters. Although the highlights of the film are scenes that are emotionally boosted by pop hits, which might be considered a cheap trick to milk the viewer’s emotions, the imaginative games with image format dispel all doubts and impress every movie connoisseur. So simple and functional! I wonder what kind of films he will make in his forties. (07.04.2015)

An impressive film about a not-so-traditional relationship between a mother and son, which relies mainly on convincing performances and a well-written script. With this film, Xavier Dolan has climbed back up the ladder with me after his largely mediocre and embarrassing Tom at the Farm. My only criticism is the film’s running time, which could have been shorter, but again, I don't want to say that I was bored in any way. Anne Dorval and Antoine Olivier Pilon, as the loving mother and her unmanageable son, played their parts with verve, and were very well seconded by Suzanne Clément as the mentally disturbed neighbour. There are wonderful musical hits throughout the film, from Dido to Ludovico Einaudi to my favourite Lana Del Rey, so it was truly a symphony for the ears. In short, a film that is certainly not lost within its vastly overcrowded and largely exhausted genre. (19.03.2016)

I like Xavier too much to write off this movie, so I gave him more and more chances. And he disappointed me again and again. The fundamental problem from my point of view is that Dolan's directing method is the same as the desire of his characters: "I am loved, but I want to be loved even more". If "brattiness" didn't bother me with his early films, in fact shallow pubertal diaries, enchanted by the possibilities of the media, then I can hardly bear it with a psychological melodrama of this type. I do not agree with the praise of the acting performances. On the contrary - it seems to me that Dolan does not direct his colleagues and lets them affectionately overdo the individual scenes beyond the point of tolerability (hysterical laughter, depressing Hebephrenic litany). Several times the film goes over the line even within the melodramatic license - the mother's visionary scene is simply cheesy, and karaoke with Bocelli has a naive amateur effect with the expressiveness of the montage of details. The fundamental problem for me is that even though Mommy has well-observed details, the arc of the relationship is based on excessive greed. Dolan hides behind the fact that his heroes are stilted, so his film, which is empathetic to their behavior, should also be stilted. But everything has its limits - and Dolan simply crossed it with Mommy. [50%] (11.07.2014)