If there was a movie definition of the word bristling, Mommy would certainly be the representation. This movie, directed by Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan, is brash, aggressive, and all-consuming, yet there’s never a moment you aren’t caught up in its spell. It’s one thing to make a movie that’s incredibly charged with energy, populated with characters who are at once repulsive and magnetic, but quite another to add the humanist element that makes you extremely invested in the movie.
When the movie begins we’re let in on how in this alternate Canada children under the age of 18 can be committed to a mental institution. This would seem like an ideal situation for Diane (Ann Dorval), a single mother to hellion Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), who is being forced to house her son again after his stay at a juvenile center ends when he’s involved in an incident with a classmate. Mother and son are both extremely different and the same, which causes instant conflict with both of them being back under the same roof. Despite the issues, they do seem to genuinely care about each other, however one major blow up threatens to undo it. They’re brought back together with the help of a neighbor (Suzanne Clement) whose troubles with speaking would make her an odd fit, but she quickly befriends Diane and becomes Steve’s teacher, creating an unstoppable threesome. However, this tiny paradise is tested and the bonds tested by factors outside of their control and Mommy hurdles towards a tough climax.
I’m truly unsure how Xavier Dolan managed to weave this type of web, all in a 1:1 ratio. Sure he’s been prolific and the international community has been singing his praises, but for me Dolan has been something of a hard taste to acquire. He’s got style for days but often his movies feel like exercises in filmmaking with vivid performances, than movies. So color me surprised that in a movie that finds the filmmaker at his most honed in with his artistic side (that aspect ratio very much informs the proceedings) that he finds a way to blend his style with the story. That he picked an Instagram-esque ratio to shoot the movie in gives the film a reality show feel and forces you to really engage with the characters in an immediate way. Form meeting function probably hasn’t been met this well in a while. However, what really got to me was the script which doesn’t short change any of the characters’ faults, but instead settles them in the forefront and forces you to get to know their real selves. By doing this, we learn and grow with the characters, and the simplest of situations feels like a big deal.
Inhabiting these characters are three fine actors who each take turns owning the film. As the mother and son duo, Ann Dorval and Antoine-Oliver Pilon instantly make you believe their relationship and character actions. Dorval shows us the unyielding burden of motherhood having worn on Diane, but also gets into the firecracker spirit and resiliency of the character. Pilon, for his part, gets the juiciest role among the trio and he tests every boundary that’s set forth by the characters and even the frame. It’s a testament to their acting that each of these characters who start at like a 25 on a 1-10 scale of loudness never feels unnecessarily showy. Mommy’s most delightful performance might be that of Suzanne Clement as their speech impediment having neighbor. She gets to play the mouse entering the lion’s den that is Steve and Diane’s lives but she never shrinks on the screen and her character’s growth is one of the most tangible takeaways from the film.