Son Can’t Rise Beyond His Fate in Emotional ‘Mommy’

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Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – One of the odd unexplainable quirks of human existence is the shaping, variations and thoughts of our inner being. The physicality in the structure of the grey matter of the brain, with the slightest imperfection, can make the difference in a lifetime of behavior and perspective. Sometimes it can work out, and sometimes different consequences are created or destroyed, like the story of Diane Després in “Mommy.”

This is an amazing story, based on a true incident, involving the Canadian mental health system. Diane “Die” Després raised a mentally maladjusted son, who was institutionalized with severe hyperactivity disorder, until his ejection from the system forced her to make a decision. At 15, a mother and child reunion takes place, a last ditch attempt to socialize her difficult boy. The story that writer/director Xavier Dolan fashions is about the value of fellow travelers and the freedom of looking at things differently. But also, despite all nurturing and hope for enlightenment, some mental issues can’t be overcome. This is a lesson in parenting, spirit and tough love, plus a dose of reality in the freaky process of developing the rational soul.

Diane “Die” Després (Anne Dorval) is a fortysomething widow whose 15-year-old son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) is coming home. He has been institutionalized for a severe mental disorder, which causes him to reject normal social interaction. When he comes home, he subjects his mother to outbursts of inappropriate behavior, hyper-sexuality and threats to her safety. The only safe harbor for Die is her neighbor Kyla (Suzanne Clement).

Die (Anne Dorva) and Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) in ‘Mommy’
Photo credit: Roadside Attractions

Kyla is also dealing with her own inner issues, which includes a sudden onset of stuttering, but agrees to take care of Steve while Die looks for work. Even though Steve continues his inappropriate outbursts, and actually tests Kyla with his behavior, the oddball pair form a bond. Just when it seems that the corner will be turned, one more incident could be the last straw, which means juvenile detention for the volatile son.

Xavier Dolan uses a unique and risky design for his film. The aspect ratio on the screen is like the shape of a film when watching a movie vertically on a smart phone. The confinement of this technique mirrors the inner prison that Steve experiences, and the claustrophobia of the environment. When the screen does expand, it does so with a purpose, including one of the finest uses of the song “Wonderwall” by the band Oasis. This is filmmaking that feels exhilarating and ultra-creative.

The actor who portrays Steve, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, doesn’t as much act the unfortunate son as inhabit him. It is a scary performance, because it’s so direct. When his hyper state is calmed or curious, Steve is a life-of-the-party type. It is those times that Pilon is most effective, since he injects a bit of the scary hyperactivity into the calm state, and therefore maintains an edgy, virtuous sense of unpredictability.

The two women are extraordinary in their roles, both adding a dash of sexual infiltration – both in and outside a Freudian thesis. They almost are vying for Steve’s attention and ultimate affection, while at the same time totally frightened by it. Anne Dorval as Die plays her backed against the wall, but does as much as humanly possible to wriggle out of the circumstance. Suzanne Clement’s Kyla has an unforgettable screen presence, both in form and function. Her combination of no-nonsense and vulnerability is delicate, but Clement has a true attachment to the character, and moves her to heights unexpected.

Neighbor Kyla (Suzanne Clement) in ‘Mommy’
Photo credit: Roadside Attractions

The aspect ratio of the film can get a bit cluttered and nervy, in that claustrophobic way that Dolan is no doubt wanting to achieve. Also the circumstance gets a bit redundant, as the pattern of Steve’s behavior – with the next psychotic outburst coming at any time – is like watching a faulty timer device on a bomb that sputters and spins, over and over again. By the time the final incident is exploded, it all seems a bit too expected.

But this film is definitely worth the time, if only for the notion of ‘there by the grace of the universe go I” and parenting – despite love – cannot overcome everything. We’re all bizarre prisoners of our own created air, the thoughts and dreams of fevered existence. One small cell or genetic switch is altered, and like that faulty timer…tick, tick, tick, BOOM!

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]