Mommy (2015)

I have a habit when I have seen movies at home at my desktop. Alone. I clap hands. And the more and the louder and the longer I clap - the more benefit it might had caught. But this one? It's just to hold your head down for a many seconds and admire how talented and extraordinary some people are. How they are able to create and deliver story and circumstances that transport feelings and impressions like this ... one of the best movies in the last ten years. Thank you. There's a melody behindeverything you see in cinema. There's a sense behind nearly half of everything you like to touch you. But there are only a few movies in a century that allow you to emphasize throughout a hole moving picture - and this one is definitely one of them.

When I thought of watching 'Mommy' there were two factors which militated against it. One was language barrier. The movie is in fluent French and I know from experience that a lot of meaning is lost in translation via subtitles. Second was the cultural barrier. Being a middle-class conservative Indian, I usually find it difficult to connect with many foreign thematic films. But to my sheer surprise, 'Mommy' was a complete riot – far better and stimulating than 'Batman vs Superman' crap which I crawled through the previous day. 'Mommy' is one of those movies where screenplay moves fast yet the story unfolds slowly. This ingenuity shifts the film from art-house to entertaining realm. 2-3 months of characters' lives take around 130 minutes of screen time which give ample time for all details to unfold. Despite the subject matter being serious, the film never appears to be dry. Thorough importance is given to character development. I must add that I haven't seen such marvelous character development in my recent history of film-watching. We get to know and empathize with all idiosyncrasies of the characters. We laugh and cringe with the on-screen characters. The plot of the film is not predictable at all. Just when you think you figured out what is happening the story throws up a new dimension. At places hidden emotional feelings of Patrick are insinuated which compel the viewer to churn his mind. Die's dream sequence towards the end of the film showing Patrick's life successful and happy was truly surreal and well placed - a mother's dream for his son. Overall, 'Mommy' is the finest Canadian film I saw in a long time. The film is truly a riot - an excellent piece of cinema.

By this point, I can say with confidence that each movie Xavier Dolan has made has been a unique experience, quite distinct in form and feeling from the rest. While I may not have fully enjoyed each and every single one of his films, I can still appreciate the art and film making technique that has underpinned each and every one of them. Mommy however, is a movie made with such tenderness, such whim and such charisma with its characters so lively so passionate and so louder-than-words that it manages to touch you in a way no other movie of his has managed to do in such extent. Hence why I believe this film is a defining point in Dolan's career, one that truly shows what this director is capable of. The film's protagonist, a foul-mouthed, hyperactive and completely inappropriate child-like soul, carries out some of the film's best comedic moments and at the same time some of the most emotional and breathtakingly human moments. The majority of the film is shot in a 1:1 aspect ratio, allowing for a widening of the screen in moments of pure and exalted emotion, like the absolute sense of freedom Steve feels riding in the streets with his trolley, throwing lemons to the car drivers furiously waiting before him. Another one of these times is when his mom, in a moment of hope, envisions what she wants her son's life to be and all of the wonders of life she wants him to experience (this particular scene is the 1st part of the script written by Dolan after hearing Ludovico's incredible piano piece). Xavier presents us with 3 characters that are so dysfunctional in their own lives, yet together they manage to create a family so strong and unbreakable. Despite Steve's mannerisms continuously pushing the 2 women's limits, the two never lose sight of the enormous heart this volatile kid has, and become determined to help him pursue his dreams and defy a constitution that wants to deem him unsafe and a potential threat to society. When the mother sees no way of truly helping her son in the long run, she places her final shreds of hope to the hands of specialists, and chooses to believe that her son will be safe in their hands. Steve however, after a few words of remorse and appreciation for all his mom has done for him, chooses to flee from the entrapment of the institution, and chase the feeling of ultimate freedom that once allowed him to be truly and utterly alive. These characters, this score and this sweet, heartfelt and ultimately tragic story therefore manage to touch in the most profound of ways.

This is a story about a mother, Diane, and her son, Steve. Diane is a single mother, and Steve has a handicap and often uses violence. Steve loves his mother very much, but he is awkward. One day, Steve is thrown out his facility, so Diane starts to live with his son in the country. Also, Diane becomes friends with Kyla, who lives across the street. However, the life is poor because Diane can't work very much and must pay the cost of treatment of the man who Steve injures. This movie is sad and painful. Steve only wants his mother to be glad, but he bothers her. Steve is very cute. I want to watch again when I become the mother. Also, this movie is a camera-work and the mood only the director is capable of. You will have a strange feeling after you watch this movie.