J'ai tué ma mère / I Killed My Mother

Writer/Dir: Xavier Dolan - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, François Arnaud, Suzanne Clément, Patricia Tulasne, Niels Schneider, Monique Spaziani
Canada, 2010

Seen: January 14, 2010 at Canada's Top Ten

Reason to see: Critical Acclaim, Canadian and I missed it at TIFF'09!

I was thrilled to finally get to see J'ai tué ma mère at Canada's Top Ten 2009 earlier this year. The film has been wowing audiences since Cannes where it received not one but three awards (C.I.C.A.E. Award, Prix Regards Jeune and (Directors' Fortnight)), and it did come to town with TIFF but I couldn't make it work in my schedule, although I admit I couldn't imagine it not making the Top Ten this year. And it did.

It deserves all the praise it has already received, and more. It's certainly does not feel like the work of a first time director considering that the pacing, framing and storytelling are all purposeful yet absolutely fantastic. The characters unfold more gracefully than you think is possible considering the abrasive dialogue and extreme tension between the two characters that share the most screen time. It's ansty, electric and oddly real but distant, it manages to breaks convention but maintains believeability. If you get right down to it, there is a coming of age theme is strong but beyond that the film is done so way it makes me want to encourage people to experience it for themselves instead of describing it. So that's what I'm going to do - encourage you to see it, and see some of the best film making in Canada.

After it played to a packed house at Canada's Top Ten you could tell that people were walking away very impressed and I for one will certainly be keeping an eye on Xavier Dolan's upcoming work.

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
Ill watch it again
I highly recommend it, especially for fans of angsty-but-intelligent coming of age

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© Shannon Ridler, 2010