Foreign Film Spotlight: MOMMY

Some of the best films ever made are ones that the general audience has never seen, and this is because they were made outside of the United States.  Welcome to another installment of FOREIGN FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we showcase some of the best in foreign cinema to help broaden your horizons.  This week we take a look at the Xavier Dolan film Mommy, the French Canadian drama that won the Prix du Jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Mommy is a raw, beautiful, heartbreaking film that tells the story of a mother, Diane, played exceptionally by Anne Dorval, and her son Steve, who suffers with ADHD. In what should be a star-making turn, Antoine Olivier Pilon, does a fantastic job as Steve. Once again, I must touch on the rawness of the film, the realistic characters that Dolan creates, it is refreshing to see a director let his characters make mistakes, make harsh choices that may or may not turn out well.

One of the best aspects of the film is the aspect ratio it uses. Dolan uses a 1:1 Aspect ration, whereas most films use a 1.85:1 aspect ratio or a 2.35:1 aspect raitio, and I love that Dolan took the risk, and used the 1:1 aspect ratio, because, and Dolan has said this, it is more intimate. It makes the audience feel, and it definitely made me feel like I was looking into the window of this family's home. I wanted to reach into the screen and hug Diane and Steve, and I believe, with a normal aspect ratio, I still would have felt a lot of emotion, but I believe the aspect ratio Dolan used was more effective.

Mommy is an incredible film, that everyone should see. It is one of my favourite films I have ever seen.

Sammy's Score: 9.5/10

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