I killed my Mother

Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be committed: the murder of childhood.

TIFF: With his first feature, Montrealer Xavier Dolan has delivered what is already one of the most talked-about directorial debuts of 2009. In a triple-threat feat, Dolan writes, directs and stars in J'ai tué ma mère, the semi-autobiographical tale of a young gay man coming of age while struggling with his tortured relationship with his mother.

Dolan plays Hubert, a cool and composed teenager who sports a Tears for Fears throwback hairdo. He bickers constantly with mom (Anne Dorval) about anything and everything, from the trivial to the profound. He's also repulsed by her style – the plastic on the furniture, her repeated trips to the tanning salon. Not only is she disagreeable and unsupportive, but she's also a kitsch monster. Their arguments are alternately hilarious and horrifying, reflecting the profound pain both mother and son are suffering through. When his teacher asks the class to write about what their mother does, Hubert can't imagine even acknowledging he has one – so he writes that his mother is dead, managing to bury her in at least one part of his imagination.

Their fights escalate until mom hatches a toxic plan: Hubert will be shipped off to boarding school. He is aghast but has little choice, as mom has managed to convince her ex-husband that a change of scenery is in the lad's best interests. Being banished to a mother-free zone might have seemed a good option for Hubert, but the move simply leads to an ultimate standoff between them. Dolan and Dorval navigate their way through the harried, increasingly vicious tête-à-têtes with delicacy, evoking sympathy for both characters.

Dolan's enthusiasm for cinema can be felt throughout J'ai tué ma mère. Combining assured writing, a confident directorial style (the scene where Hubert makes love to his boyfriend is a standout) and a beautifully rendered performance, Dolan's arrival on the big screen is an achievement that can't be ignored.

--Matthew Hays

Xavier Dolan was born in Montreal and began acting in commercials at the age of four. He has performed in the films J'en suis! (97), Le Marchand de sable (99), La Forteresse suspendue (01) and Martyrs (08). His directorial debut, J'ai tué ma mère (09), which he also wrote and stars in, earned three prizes in the 2009 Directors' Fortnight at Cannes: the Art Cinema Award, the Regards Jeunes and the SACD Prize
________________________________________

Larry Richman: Day Six ended with J'ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother) at the elegant and lovely Isabel Bader Theatre. Based on his own childhood and adolescence in Québec, Xavier Dolan's film probes the relationship between mother and child when the son's sexuality is in question. Awkward early relationships are difficult for any teen, let alone one burdened with his own fears and mother's unwillingness to accept his "difference." Arguments and fight scenes between Dolan and his mom (the stunning Anne Dorval) are painful to watch, but tender love scenes with François Arnaud provide a stark and welcome contrast.

Dolan's stark reminiscences are filled with anger, sadness, love, hate, and humor -- lots of it. Another TIFF winner. This was the first film of the 20 I've seen to receive a standing ovation. It truly blew the roof off the Bader. And some inspiration for budding filmmakers: Dolan wrote, directed, produced, and starred in J'ai Tué Ma Mère at the age of 19 (he's 20 now). Dolan, Dorval, and Arnaud all were in attendance and held an exciting Q&A afterward.

(NOTE: J'ai Tué Ma Mère has been selected as Canada’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards in March 2010. The film won the Art Cinema Prize, the Regards Jeunes Award, and the Sacd Trophy at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes.)