Review of film: “I KILLED MY MOTHER” (“J'ai Tué Ma Mère”)

Review of film:  “I KILLED MY MOTHER”   (“J'ai Tué Ma Mère”)

Previously, I spoke of how XAVIER DOLAN impressed me as being one of the “BRIGHT lights” in the world of up-&-coming young film-makers, based on his writing, acting & directing the film “HEARTBEATS” screened during the 46^th Film Festival in Chicago…

…  In my write-up, I spoke of the great reception his FIRST film “I KILLED MY MOTHER” received at the 2009 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL in France, where it won THREE major awards ( & it won as Best Canadian Feature film at the 2010 Vancouver Int’l Film Festival)…

…  Thus, I was especially eager to see that French-language film on a “big screen”, which I was able to do (in sub-titled form) during the REELING 29 Film Festival currently unfolding in Chicago at various venues such as the Landmark Century Centre theater…

…  The title of the film describes what 16-year-old Hubert Minel (XAVIER DOLAN) CONSIDERS doing concerning his mother Chantale (ANNE DORVAL), not necessarily what he actually does…  He lives with just her, since she couldn’t get along with his father Richard (PIERRE CHAGNON) whom he seldom sees or talks to… 

…  Anne drives him “CRAZY” by regularly saying she wants to “TALK” to him, & then actually prefers watching her TV programs rather than listening to what he tries to say.  She also keeps pointing out that he reminds her of his father & how she couldn’t stand him at all…

…  Xavier much prefers spending time with his homosexual friend Antonin (FRANÇOIS ARNAUD), whose devil-may-care mother openly ACCEPTS her son’s being gay & knows that he & Xavier are actually lovers…  Seeing the relationship François has makes Xavier especially unhappy in putting-up with the constant COMPLAINTS & harping of his own mother…

…  Xavier loves being an artistic PAINTER, & specially appreciates being encouraged in that by his teacher Julie (SUZANNE CLÉMENT) whom he starts to confide in more and more & whom he starts to visit when things get particularly tough on him at home... 

…  Add the exceptional “difficulties” Xavier has with his mother to his being a teenager & finding it hard to “open-up” to his mom, & you have him regularly “RAGGING” on & yelling at her about how she treats him & all.  Thus, things keep getting worse & worse between them…

…  Anne learns about Xavier’s being gay thru a “3^rd party”, & that makes her particularly peeved at him.  That & her growing difficulty in controlling him leads her to convince his father to support sending him to a BOARDING SCHOOL, an idea Xavier hates…

…  At that school, he meets a handsome student named Éric (NIELS SCHNEIDER— who’s his co-star in “HEARTBEATS”), & is a bit upset when Nils is attracted to him…  Xavier is even more distressed when he’s BEATEN-UP by guys at the school because they don’t like his being gay (-- seemingly part of the “semi-autobiographical” part of this movie --)…

…  Xavier makes various attempts to try to be distinctly NICE to his mom, to try to convince her to let him LEAVE the boarding school.  He’s markedly hurt & upset when his actions don’t seem to “move” her sufficiently… 

…  The Reeling program accurately describes the situation about the “BLAME game” inherent in their relationship by saying that he & his mom BOTH have “… quick fuses and an inability to communicate--  just as love and hate can be two sides of the same coin”…

…  As was the case with his second film, Xavier (who was just 20 when “I KILLED MY MOTHER” was made!) wrote, acted-in & DIRECTED this motion picture.  He’s a EXCELLENT, thoroly-“believable” actor, as are the other main characters in the movie.  The fact of what he was able to create & achieve with this at his young age thus causes me to rate it at 9 out of 10 stars…