Canada has chosen Xavier Dolan’s Mommy as their official submission to the foreign language Oscar competition. With so much to despair about the lack of inspiration in filmmaking, Dolan bursts through convention by reinventing his own brand of storytelling, using pure imagination and innovation to create something unlike anything else you’ll see this year. On the festival circuit, audiences have been embracing this exuberant, insane film about “motherhood.”
In the tradition of Edward Albee, Billy Wilder and Ken Russell, Dolan unzips the volatile mother/son bond with a mother who should never have been a mother and a son trying to cope with his own mental illness and inability to control himself. Dolan directs like Van Gogh painted – passionately, with prime colors and broad strokes, on the edge of insanity always, listening to a drumbeat that comes only once or twice in a generation.
Great writing, directing, acting – from the ground up. These tools do not come from any branded toolbox. These are original characters and an original story and easily one of the best films of 2014.
The Way He Looks does look like a strong contender, Bryce.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Mommy got an Oscar campaign across several categories, and even reaped nominations in them too, Amour-style.
In the same line of thought as filmboymicheal, i must add Anne Dorval in the best actress category. Anne and Suzanne are great and so is Antoine Olivier Pilon in a very hard role.
I think Suzanne Clement should be placed on the supporting actress tracker….one can hope!
It’s not really inovative this technique. Another Brazilian film released this year here “O Homem das Multidões” had used this aspect ratio. And I believe it was more conected to the narrative than in Dolan’s case. I haven’t watched but for me it sounds more an aesthetic use.
I thought the performances in Mommy were great. But I did not find the square ratio of the framing used for most of the film entirely successful. Dolan explained at at a Q&A that he wanted the audience to focus on the actors. But as a formal exercise I’m not entirely sure it worked.
it opened today in Montreal
I was lucky enough to see his fourth film Tom on the Farm (still unreleased in the Sates) when I was overseas this August. A clever Hitchcock homage, among other things. Really looking forward to Mommy.
Brazil also chose its candidate: it’s “The Way He Looks” (“Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho”). It’s a very nice one.
I’ve seen it. Can vouch. Delightful, pure, adorable crowd-pleaser.
Brazil also chose its candidate: it’s “The Way He Looks” (“Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho”). It’s a very nice one.
http://www.cultura.gov.br/noticias-destaques1/-/asset_publisher/2yVVERAAql7M/content/-hoje-eu-quero-voltar-sozinho-e-o-representante-brasileiro-no-oscar-2015/10883
Sadly, from what I’ve been hearing, this incredible film will not get released until the early quarter of 2015.
I’ve been keeping an eye out for this one. I really dug Laurence Anyways so I’m looking forward to seeing Mommy.