I killed my mother

Bravo for this award winning Canadian film. It has been nominated for many awards and has been shown in countless international film festivals In fact it was the Canadian film recommended for the best foreign film for this Oscar season. Xavier Dolan was only 19 when he wrote, directed and acted in this arty film.

I was glad I was with my friend Marianne because I needed to discuss the nuances and meaning of this film. We talked about it for hours after.

Hubert (played by Dolan) lives with his mother. The father deserted the scene many years ago and is totally irresponsible as far as his son is concerned. Hubert has such a love hate relationship with his mother. Most of the time the two are yelling and screaming and verbally abusive to one another. It is painful at times.

At one point in the film it is stated that he loves his mother but he only realizes it when he has departed from her. This is a central part of the film.

There are tender moments when Huber makes dinner, cleans the apartment and is a loving son. Most of the time he is cantankerous and belligerent to her.

The mother discovers that Hubert is a homosexual from the mother of Hubert’s friend. We see such a contrast with the buddy and his mother who is accepting of the homosexuality. The two have a fresh happy relationship.

Is Hubert so uncivil to his mother because he can’t tell her he is a homosexual? Is he angry because the father is not in the picture? Hubert certainly is a soul in turmoil. He does find some comfort from a sympathetic teacher who understands him. I certainly wondered how that plot was going to go.

Hubert is sent to a boarding school because his mother simply can’t handle him. This is a total disaster.

At one point the principal of the school calls the mother and suggests that she should find a man as a role model for her son. The mother breaks into a rant and rave. This is truly the highlight of the whole film as far as I am concerned. It was brilliant.

Hubert is a lost soul. He really does love his mother but becomes so annoyed at times that he wishes she was dead. At one point he even fantasizes seeing her in a coffin. Deep down he truly loves her and when things get really bad she is there for him.

The cinematography is superb. At the end Hubert and his mother are sitting on some rocks in an isolated location. It is picture perfect. In another scene Hubert and his mother are having dinner. The camera zooms in on his mother’s face and we see every bite and every crumb on her face. There is one love scene with Hubert and his lover. It is surreal and beautifully filmed.

The actors all perform so well. I found myself laughing and then feeling sad as the events unraveled.

I am mesmerized that a 19 year old could have such insight and such talent. The Cannes Film Festival recognized this young talent. I want to see it again.