I Killed My Mother (Xavier Dolan, 2009): Canada

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy.  Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

  J’ai Tue Ma Mere or I Killed My Mother  is a complex title.  Far deeper and more intense than what the audience initially expects.  We watch a young man emerge from his teenage angst as he screams hostilities towards his mother, yet as the story unravels we begin to see his actions not only from his own point of view, but also his mother’s point of view through his eyes.

Hubert Minel (Xavier Dolan) is a typical high school student.  He has lived with his divorced mother Chantale (Anne Dorval) since he was a very young boy, with very little guidance or support from his father.  Hubert is torn between a love/hate relationship with Chantale, whose taste he despises, but whose understanding he requires.

Hubert is intelligent and artistic, yet he can’t help but direct his teenage anger and self-loathing towards his mom.  Chantale is hard-working and fairly supportive, she tolerates his high-strung ways and hopes that in time it’ll pass.

A lot of Hubert’s frustration stems from the fact that he is homosexual, yet he can’t communicate this and his mother doesn’t see it.  She abruptly finds out through a third party.  Shocked, it takes awhile for Chantale to regain her composure, until she realizes it was apparent all along.  Hubert can communicate all sorts of vile assertions at Chantale except for this one truth.  She admits to Hubert her knowledge of his secret and confesses her hurt of Hubert’s mistrust in her.

The only way to describe Anne Dorval, whose performance is both powerful and subtle, is to say she is this generation’s Shirley MacLaine.  Complete with perky facial gestures, witty composure and sensitive responses – at one point, a school headmaster gives Chantale really asinine parental advice, to which she listens patiently and re-directs a verbal tirade at him.

Despite the  intensity of Hubert yelling “I hate you” or “you’re disgusting” at his mother, he really does love her and is devoted to her – Dolan actually slows the speed down several times in the film to give us insight into Hubert’s reflection of his own actions, and at one point cleverly rewinds, hoping to change the course of his futile behavior.  The deep love Chantale feels for her son is displayed in a verbal epiphany, not for the characters so much as for the audience – threatening accusations at his mother, Hubert proclaims “what would you do if I died today?”  To which Chantale softly responds “I’d die tomorrow.”

This film is semi-autobiographical, and marks Dolan’s debut as a director.  At 20, his work is exceptional as writer, director, producer and the lead actor in the film.  It’s no wonder he is the recipient of several Film Festival awards, with 3 from Cannes.