When Xavier Dolan won the Jury Prize at Cannes for Mommy, he told jury president Jane Campion that seeing The Piano as a teenager inspired him to write roles for women, “beautiful women with soul, will and strength, not victims.” With Anne Dorval in his film’s title role, he does just that. Dorval’s Die is a self-assured force of nature, as she navigates her relationship with her punchy, mercurial, out-of-control, ADHD-addled teenage son, Steve, who’s just returned from a special care facility. Antoine-Olivier Pilon’s Steve is a matching force, alternately provocative and seductive in his relationship with Die and with Kyla (Suzanne Clément), the mousy, introverted teacher-neighbor who becomes the third in this rambunctious ménage. Confident and completely original, Xavier Dolan’s fifth feature (at the ripe age of 25) confirms his exceptional talents. It’s an audacious, visually compelling film driven by extraordinary performances and his incredible artistry.
WITH SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEBEC