Nothing
annoys me more than walking out of a movie annoyed at the director and
screenwriter and here I am, three hours later, still annoyed at the
director and screenwriter of “Mommy”, both being Xavier Dolan who also
edited it.

The basic story is interesting in that it deals with a
mother whose son has been kicked out of a juvenile facility after
causing a fire burning 75% of another boy’s skin. The mother, Diane,
nicknames Die and played by Anne Dorval, has been a  widow for 3 years
and the son, Steve, played by Antoine Olivier Pilon, hasn’t accepted his
father’s death and had been previously diagnosed with ADD and/or
possibly also being bi-polar. They are both capable of moods swinging
form high highs to low lows. One moment he can be choking her and the
next moment kissing her on the lips while she can be as tender with him
as any mother can be and in the next moment bashing him over the head
with a framed picture.

Both the mother and son lean on their
neighbor across the street who lives there with her boyfriend? Husband?
And their young daughter. She, Kyla, played by Suzanne Clement, had been
a high school teacher but due to something--a nervous breakdown?--has
stopped teaching and she can barely talk in full sentences and stutters
horribly except around the mother and son.

Both mother and son
are foul mouth speakers along with being flirtatious whenever the
opportunity arises or, sometimes, instigating sexual innuendos. The
language, in some instances, is definitely R rated.

It is a good
straight told story of a subject that isn’t often a theme for movies,
mainly in the first half but then the director/screenwriter/editor
enters the picture. I want to excuse him because he is 25 years old but
this is his fifth picture so he should know better. The film is mostly
in a 1 to 1 ratio so most of the time you feel as if you are looking at
it on a large cell phone. The screen is widen a few times but only
effective and noticeable the first time. There are one too many blurry
collages not too mention choppy editing that I guess is suppose to be
’artistic’. Also the screenwriter leaves way too many questions
unanswered that are an important part of the story.

Anne Dorval,
Suzanne Clement and Antoine Olivier Pilon give excellent performances,
especially the latter who has to handle showing all sides of a teenager
with mental illness that changes him constantly.

Aside from
running far too long--two hours and 20 minutes--I felt frustration at
how Dolan was taking a good story line and getting excessive with the
camera. I found myself going from being interested to being bored and
back and forth all during the movie and, finally, leaving annoyed.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJw4ZZ_BWSU