MOMMY

Canada, 2014, 139 minutes, Colour.
Anne Dorval, Antoine- Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clements.
Directed by Xavier Dolan.

On the day that this review is being written, Xavier Dolan, the precocious French- Canadian director, has a birthday. He turns 26. Mommy is his fifth film, making an impression, building on I Killed My Mother, following with Heartbeats, Laurence Anyway, Tom at the Farm, and now this film which won the jury prize in Cannes, 2014. He himself has appeared in the four earlier films but does not act in this one. The two female members of his cast have appeared in his other films. His main actor this time is a young Canadian, Antoine- Olivier Pilon.

The main actors are most impressive in their roles, Anne Dorval as the mother, trying to cope with her son who is ADHD, and Pilon as the teenage son, Steve. Suzanne Clements is the neighbour who helps both mother and son.

This is quite a long film, two hours and 20 minutes, and, while some of it is repetitious, it holds the attention with its dynamic characterisations, situations, interactions. At the opening, the mother, Diane, called Die, is taking her son out of an institution where he has set the kitchen on fire and caused extensive burns to one of the children. She takes him home, where he has a room, and tries to look after him, controlling his moods, urging him for his education. She herself is not well-educated and regrets this, having a fairly rough personality, quite aggressive physically and verbally in her dealings with many people, especially at institutions, and Steve inheriting some of this aggression – with racist and homophobic slurs.


Across the street is Kyla, a good woman who is having a sabbatical, she explains, from her teaching. She is at home with her husband and daughter, but has acquired a nervous impediment which makes her stammer. She makes friends with Die who asks her to mind Steve for a day – with some initial dire consequences, but Kyla is able to calm him somewhat and use her skills as a teacher to interest him in subjects which he follows through and responds so. In the meantime, Die tries to get a job as a translator of children’s books and takes on cleaning jobs as well.

Quite a lot of the film is a portrait of Die trying to cope with her son, his losing his temper, his reactions towards her, confiding in Kylie and getting some help. In the meantime, Steve is entirely unpredictable.

The film opens with some information about Canadian legislation, especially in French- Canada, where parents can take unruly children to institutions of care. This is the dilemma for Die, whether she can keep Steve at home as he grows older and more challenging or whether she should place Steve in an institution.

There is some pathos at the end with Die, after an outing to the beach with Kylie and Steve, having to make a decision and the audience sees how it affects her, Kylie moving to Toronto which is sad for Die, and Steve and his way of dealing with his mother’s decision.

Xavier Dolan is quite the director. He also writes, edits, designs costumes and writes the subtitles both in English and in French, a lot of it quite slangy given the background of the characters.

So, what will Dolan be doing in five years, 10 years, 15 years, with his life and career before him…!


1. A contemporary story of mother and son, difficulties, clash, ability and inability to cope?

2. The director, aged 25 when he wrote and directed this film? His career, insights, portraits of Canadian characters, situations and crises?

3. Montréal, the suburbs, homes and streets, the beach? Shops, supermarkets? Institutions? The musical score, the use of songs for each of the characters?

4. The title, Die’s necklace? Its tone? Die and her name? The background of the marriage, her husband’s work, his death, the effect on Steve, his being diagnosed with ADHD, his age, the teenager, school, institutions, his relationship with his mother?

5. The institution, Steve’s behaviour, being reported, Die and her interview with the authority, the fire in the kitchen, the effect on the burnt boy? The later summons and potential court case? Steve’s age, the difficulties, unlikeable, but his potential? Afflicted with his diagnosis, his abrupt and spontaneous action and language?

6. Die and her age, little education, regretting it, considered trash? Her language and behaviour? Slang? Memories of her husband, the marriage, his work? Taking Steve from the institution, bring him to the new home, his room – and its later disorganisation? Cooking, the meals, his participating? Smoking?

7. Kyla in the opposite house, each waiting to the other? Her situation, her husband, daughter, her sabbatical from teaching, her speech impediment? Trying to cope? The contact with Die, the visit, the conversations, serving as a sounding board? Coming to the meal, Steve’s behaviour, her managing? Die asking Kyla for a favour, to mind Steve during the day? The clashes, his wetting himself, Kyla’s reaction? His apologies? The books, his interest in learning, Kyla and her ability to teach, his response, his work? The potential for both Steve and for Kyla?

8. Die, wanting to do the translation work, visit to the editor, her posing as carefree? To the bank, the cash? The work and the cleaning jobs?

9. Paul, his interest, attracted to Die, lawyer, her resistance, spilling the groceries on the road and his helping? Die in need of him for legal help? Going out, the attraction, the drinking? Steve and the karaoke, getting upset that people were not listening, especially Paul and Die? His attack, the fight, being ousted?

10. Steve, his attitudes, the racist outburst against the taxi driver? His insulting people, homophobic language? Abusive? The contrast with when he was quiet? The effect of being with Kyla? With his mother? Going to the beach? Uncontrollable, his mother taking back to the institution?

11. Die in herself, her limits, her potential, the talk, her moods, ups and downs in behaviour, interactions with people? The issue of how much Steve was imitating his mother and her moods and behaviour?

12. The laws about the institution, the explanations at the beginning of the film? Parents unable to cope with difficult children? Die’s decision, immediately changing her mind, the staff at the institution, the fight with Steve, the taser? Her having to calm down?

13. The weeks passing, Die and her being calmer, in the kitchen, the house, Kyae coming to visit, the news of going to Toronto, Die’s being upset?

14. Steve, the phone call, and the straitjacket, saying all the right things and checking them out, his mother’s response? The restraints, the medication – and the issue of whether he would be able to cope?