LFF 2014 - Mommy

There's an undeniable talent about Xavier Dolan that has been showcased throughout the immensely successful 25-year-old's plaudit-laden career. Showcasing his fifth directorial outing in as many years, Dolan has tackled many a jarring subject and this time takes a rather softer approach as he delves into the relationship of a mother and her son - but not without some conflict along the way - in the riveting Mommy.

Diane (Anne Dorval) and her son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) have just moved into a new neighbourhood and are seeking a new start. While Die seeks out a new living and a stable way of living, Steve is tackling his own issues as an ADHD sufferer, his violent spurts not only represented by bad language but also outbursts of physicality.

While many are understandably stand-offish when confronting Steve in the neighbourhood, one person who soon befriends the two-person family unit is mysterious neighbour Kyla (Suzanne Clement). Kyla is currently on hiatus from work and experiences a stammer in her speech; along with the obvious fact that she isn't at all close with her own husband or child. Striking a blossoming relationship with both Steve and Die, Kyla not only finds a new lease of life but also aids in releasing a whole new meaning to living within her newfound friends.

Xavier Dolan is rarely one to skate far from controversial and powerful issues in his films but for the most part he sticks within boundaries of normality and presents a wonderful tale of a relationship that, like every, has its ups and downs. Not only exploring the true meaning of family, but also delving into the friendship aspect of life, he creates a wholly engaging and often humourous affair that revels in the wonderment and darkness that life can bring forth.

At the heart of Dolan's film is a simply subliminal performance from a young talent whose on-screen antics evoke so many different emotions from the audience. From sorrow to a real level of digust, Pilon is a true revelation, portraying a troubled youth to inch-perfect levels; his tantrums coaxing in the uncomfortable moments and a flip-sided cheeky humour often inducing a great deal of laughter. From such a young man comes an array of ever-changing emotions and he handles it with relative ease, tempting us into a false sense of security with a butter-wouldn't-melt persona, before whipping up a storm with his fists and vile language.

It doesn't stop there either, with both Clement and Dorval serving up their own powerhouse performances and going through the motions as they too jump from one end of the emotional spectrum to the next. Clement's Kyla is somewhat of a conundrum; sweet upon first clapping eyes on her eye, but possessing something deeper which remains a unexpected surprise that may catch many off guard. Dorval's Die on the other hand, is the woman bearing the brunt of physical and verbal assaults, her exterior steely and bold, while her insides slowly melt inside and transfer instinctively to the viewer.

Dolan's film isn't all spot-on though and there are issues encountered beyond the superb story and execution from its main acts. The music choices within the film, albeit looking to maintain the rather uncharacteristically upbeat notion, are often off-key with the events unfolding in front of our eyes and it drops the ball in its duration.

Agreed, some movies are completely acceptable in their use of a longer duration to tie up loose ends and find some sort of resolution, but Mommy takes it beyond that level and there will be moments where the end is in sight only for another fifteen to twenty minutes to follow. This slightly deters from what is actually a rather emotive and enjoyable outing from the talented filmmaker, but overall the experience once again showcases why this young individual is continuously racking up awards left, right and centre.

LFF 2013 - Tom At The Farm

As a young man still only in his mid-twenties, Xavier Dolan has certainly put in a hell of a lot of work to get where he is in the film industry. Having already directing a number of films and also starred in them, among others, he is an undeniable talent and continues to push the boundaries of filmmaking with strong subject topics and cutting drama. His latest film, Tom At The Farm, once again strikes with a difficult subject and shows off his incredible knack for standout films.

Tom (Dolan) is dealing with the emotional burden of losing his partner and looks to connect with his family, despite his partner's mother Agathe (Lise Roy) in the dark over her son's sexual orientation.  She owns a farm with her other son, Francis (Pierre-Yves Cardel), who incidentally knows of this secret, and is far from welcoming when Tom arrives to offer support.

With Agathe welcoming an additional face and help around the farm, Francis is quite the opposite, constantly threatening Tom and forcing him into precarious positions. As the façade continues with Sara (Evelyne Brochu) visiting as the 'girlfriend', tensions begin to rise and emotions head toward boiling point, with the fate of a family dangling on a knife edge.

Xavier Dolan's unique style of film direction continues to rear its head in what could be seen as one of his most ambitious and bold pictures so far in his glittering career. Presenting the audience with yet another homosexual-based drama riddled with emotional angst and truly vicious characters, Tom At The Farm is one film that singes itself into the brain and sticks their with a strong everlasting effect.

Intent on establishing the key characteristics of his protagonists, Dolan paints a very strong picture of each person involved in the proceedings and hammers home their reactions to the events unfolding with relative ease. From Dolan's very own Tom, whose depression and sorrow is clear for all to see, to Cardel's frankly horrible Francis, each individual is a presence when focused upon, and certainly provide the catalyst to drive the hard-hitting story on.

Dolan's turn as our main protagonist is commendable, conveying the sort of emotion you would expect from a character in his situation, while the physicality and harsh nature of Cardel's elder brother helps to create a situation in which us an audience often feel rather uncomfortable and unsettled. The pair battling with one another is helped along by a script that often stirs things up with some truly cutting dialogue and moments of true agonising awkwardness and painful scenarios. From Tom being cornered into a toilet cubicle, to a dance scene in a barn, the film's suggestive nature is as excruciating as the treatment Tom finds himself subject to, and really hits the audience hard.

It's the suggestive nature of the film that makes it so successful. Admittedly, at times, it does prove a little too much and not quite what we are looking for in such a drama, but when Dolan gets it right there are examples of great creativity in his emotional conveyance that really deliver the message.
Tom At The Farm will prove an excruciating uncomfortable view for many, with its powers of suggestion proving very unsettling at times. Despite this, director and star Xavier Dolan does counteract with powerful characters and a meaningful premise that once again shows his power of imaginative  cinema and cutting dialogue.