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

Reviewed by Khristine Biver.  Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival 2010.

Breaking into the film world in a big way by displaying a great deal of talent, 20 year-old Xavier Dolan’s first feature film, J’ai tue ma mere (I Killed My Mother) is receiving accolades from various film festivals and views alike.  Dolan’s novice talent in both acting and writing is something of note; however, Dolan’s embryonic skill is obviously still in development.

Sixteen-year-old Hubert Minel (Dolan) is at constant odds with his mother, Chantal (Anne Dorval).  Hubert is trying to find his individual identity, which turns out to be the opposite of who his mother is, and as a result, they fight to no end.  Their epic verbal battles are the main thread throughout the film.  Hubert does not communicate with his mother about his life, including his blossoming homosexuality.  One surmises that it is this secret that is the real cause for Hubert’s antagonistic behavior.

The film is drowning in angst so much so that the style of the film is not clearly seen or interpreted. Although the dialogue is very well written and rings true to many parent-teenage arguments, the deeper psychological connection to these fights is lacking. Their monumental fighting can be funny at times with the blatant lack of respect they have for each other but it quickly escalate to portray a sense of loss in their relationship.  When the outbursts become too much, Hubert is shipped off to boarding school.

To give more depths to the character of Hubert, Dolan shoots intimate direct to camera confessions in his bathroom.  These scenes sparsely tie the film together by way giving way to the characters mind.

Dolan sprinkles intellectual references throughout the film in a manner that seems more like we’re supposed to be impressed that the young Dolan is aware of intellectual figures rather than integrating them cleverly to make them relevant to the film as a whole.  For example, Hubert’s boyfriend is named after Arthur Rimbaud, a remarkable poetry and prose writer from the 19^th century, but the symbolism comes across as trite rather than meaningful. Repeated references to Cocteau and de Maupassant were too abundant and sought a knowledgeable connection but failed in doing so.

The acting, however, is an incredibly strong point that stands out in the film.  The portrayal of Hubert’s lack of respect for the people in his life is evident.  By the end of the film, Hubert is starting to realize his actions have affects on others.  This is seen in a dream like sequence of Hubert running after his mother in the woods and her pushing him away again and again.  Anne Dorval is outstanding in her performance at Hubert’s mother; however, the film did not dedicate enough film time to her character. At his young age, Dolan does not have the life experience necessary to fully flesh out that character.

Fortunately, Dolan shows great promise as a filmmaker.  He just needs a bit more life experience in order to respect all of his characters motivations and actions.