Mommy

A running theme throughout Xavier Dolan's films involves focusing on strained relationships, particularly those of the familial sort. The most telling film with this theme is his debut I Killed My Mother. (Tom at the Farm is a lesser example.) But his newest film Mommy depicts a more volatile mother-son relationship than Dolan's first film.

Mommy focuses on the fraying bond between Diane (Anne Dorval) and her ADHD-addled son Steve (Antoine Olivier Pilon). In a fitting gesture, Dolan casts Dorval once again as the suffering matriarch. (She did such a role before in I Killed My Mother.) But there are very distinct differences between Dolan's first and newest films.

While I Killed My Mother is told from the perspective of the son, Mommy is clearly told from the perspective of the mother. And with the different points of views, both films don't want the viewer to take sides. They just want you to watch the chaos unravel.

And as expected from a Dolan film, the performances are great. Dorval and Suzanne Clement, both Dolan regulars, provide an insight into two complex women. (You just don't see roles like these in many American films, do you?) And Pilon, a complete unknown outside of Canada prior to this, definitely shows promise for a thriving career.

Mommy is a fantastic film. Thanks to the work from Dolan, Dorval, Pilon and Clement, it's a portrait of the stormy bonds we share in our lives. Seriously, be sure to see it.

My Rating: *****

Tom at the Farm

At some point within every director's career, there's that one point in time where they experiment with a new genre. Not always does the sudden genre change work with some directors but when it does, the result is amazing.

Such is the case with Xavier Dolan. His first three films (I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats, Laurence Anyways) focused on the complicated personal relationships between the main characters. His fourth film Tom at the Farm strays far away from the (not-so) comfortable domestic ambiance. Very far away.

Being Dolan's first film to be based on another source (in this case, Michel Marc Bouchard's play of the same name), it doesn't take long to see the tonal difference of Tom at the Farm from Dolan's earlier films. Rather than the heavy visuals clearly inspired by Wong Kar-Wai, the imagery here draws comparisons to Terrence Malick's work. It's subtle but very noticeable.

And like I Killed My Mother and Laurence Anyways, Tom at the Farm highlights the issue of homophobia. But it's not merely fear like the former two films. No, Tom at the Farm depicts it in its true hate-filled form. Sometimes the true monsters are those we mistakenly assume are friends...

Tom at the Farm is easily Dolan's best film to date. Think of what Dolan does here to what Quentin Tarantino did when he made Jackie Brown. A director with a distinct (if sometimes erratic) style makes a non-original work their own, and the result is amazing.

My Rating: *****

Laurence Anyways

Xavier Dolan's first two films I Killed My Mother and Heartbeats focused on the relationships we lead and how stormy they become. With his third film Laurence Anyways, Dolan continues the familiar theme but on a larger scale.

The film focuses on Laurence (Melvil Poupaud) and Fred (Suzanne Clement), a young couple. Their relationship starts to come apart when Laurence reveals his inner desire: to become a woman. From that point on, they slowly start to unravel as both a couple and as people.

Dolan certainly has a knack when it comes to writing the various characters of his films. For Laurence Anyways, he has a larger scale to explore them and what makes them tick. After all, no one has the ideal life.

Mich like how Heartbeats was influenced by the films of Wong Kar-Wai, Laurence Anyways was influenced by the likes of Stanley Kubrick's later career. Indeed, certain moments do appear to be inspired by Eyes Wide Shut whether it's imagery or character interactions.

Laurence Anyways is a beautifully shot film though it's not without its few problems. Still, Dolan continues to provide an intimate portrait of everyday lives, both unflinching and insightful. It's something most directors aren't willing to depict.

My Rating: ****1/2

Heartbeats

The relationships we have through our lives are never like the perfect ones we see in the movies. There are differences, jealousies and insecurities, all of which can boil into something messy. (Reality can be a cruel mistress sometimes.)

Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats is one such film to highlight the complicated bonds we form in our lives. Revolving around two friends (Dolan, Monica Chokri) as they vie for the affections of the same man (Niels Schneider), the film depicts how easily personal connections can fray.

Much like Dolan's previous film I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats isn't interested in having you take sides with any of the characters. It's just interested in telling a story. (More films should adhere to this tactic.)

Also like I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats has various shots that make the film essentially the epitome of an art film. But unlike I Killed My Mother, the shots in Heartbeats tend to overwhelm the story. Still, at least with context they make complete sense. (Unlike those in similar art/foreign films.)

Though not as good as his previous film, Dolan does try his best with Heartbeats. He also continues to prove that for a young talent like himself, Dolan knows how to tell a story. Certainly a director to keep an eye on in the years to come.

My Rating: ****

I Killed My Mother

It's made quite clear early on in Xavier Dolan's I Killed My Mother that the familial bond between Hubert Minel (Dolan) and mother Chantale (Anne Dorval) is a frayed one. It could initially be distinguished as simple teenage drama on Hubert's part. But it quickly becomes something else.

There are a number of films revolving around the tumultuous lives that teenagers often lead. But often times it's overdone, perhaps because the directors and writers (and sometimes the actors) aren't in their teens. Dolan, meanwhile, was sixteen when he wrote I Killed My Mother (and twenty when it was released), so he easily defied that Hollywood annoyance.

Dolan has stated that his first foray into directing was semi-autobiographical, so it makes I Killed My Mother all the more fascinating. What aspects of the film were from Dolan's own life and what aspects were from his mind? These are thoughts that run through your mind as you watch.

What also makes I Killed My Mother an interesting watch is that the film doesn't actively try to make the viewer pick sides. It doesn't want you to side with either Hubert or Chantale; it simply wants you to watch the mayhem unfold.

I Killed My Mother is easily one of the best directorial debuts I've seen in a while. Though I have to admit I'm envious of Dolan. Making a film this good at the age of 20, which is also my current age? Show off some more, why don't you?

My Rating: *****