Mommy

Name: Mommy
Genre: Drama
Released: January 23, 2015
Duration: 139 min
Rating: 74
Cast: Alexandre Goyette, Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Patrick Huard, Suzanne Cl

2015

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 142 Ratings

See All

8.4

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.4	Your Score
8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 142 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Mommy (US)

Now Playing: Mommy (US)

Movie Details & Credits

Roadside Attractions | Release Date: January 23, 2015 | Not Rated

Starring: Alexandre Goyette, Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Patrick Huard, Suzanne Cl

Summary: A feisty widowed single mom finds herself burdened with the full-time custody of her rambunctious
15-year-old ADHD son. As they try to make ends meet, Kyla, the peculiar girl across the street, offers her help. Together, they find a new sense of balance, and hope is regained.

Director: Xavier Dolan

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 139 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Andrew O'Hehir

Jan 22, 2015

There’s so much that is brilliant and unexpected and often downright thrilling about Mommy, the fifth feature (a fact amazing in itself) from 25-year-old Quebec enfant terrible Xavier Dolan. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Jan 20, 2015

Mommy is first and foremost a mother-and-son story, but it's also a surprisingly delicate exploration of lonely lives, and the temporary islands of companionship that make them bearable. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

May 24, 2014

As a director, he finally shows a willingness to work on the same wavelength of the material instead of adding distracting bells and whistles that overstate his characters' grievances. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Jan 30, 2015

It feels like living inside a pressure cooker with one particular family — experiencing their turbulence as if from the inside, while always a little glad to be watching from a safe distance. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Jan 22, 2015

Mommy is certainly a showcase for powerful acting: Anne Dorval is the coarse but affecting Diane, Antoine-Olivier Pilon is terrifying as Diane’s teenage son, Steve. Read full review

Guy Lodge

May 24, 2014

If Mommy counts as a slight creative step back, and I would argue that it is, it's at least an elegant and purposeful one. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Glenn Kenny

Jan 23, 2015

Willfully over determined and perversely stylized. Read full review

SEE ALL 34 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

foxgrove

Apr 3, 2015

An exhilaratingly original, exciting and audacious work from director Xavier Dolan that holds one spellbound for every one of its 139 minutes. Despite subject matter that could have been either downbeat or depressing the film manages to project both hope and humour in its telling of theAn exhilaratingly original, exciting and audacious work from director Xavier Dolan that holds one spellbound for every one of its 139 minutes. Despite subject matter that could have been either downbeat or depressing the film manages to project both hope and humour in its telling of the relationships between three damaged individuals. Dolan’s skill as a visionary director is on display constantly and his bravura use of the camera is imaginative. This includes the unusual decision to film in the 1:1 ratio as if to reflect the restricted lives under the spotlight. Simple shots and a blend of techniques are equally breath taking to behold and have maximum impact within the context of both the scene and the story as a whole. Dolan is also very well served by his three principle actors who deliver sublimely knock out performances. Anne Dorval as the thick skinned but tackily dressed mother of a violent and uncontrollable son, is a gutsy and loud presence that can’t be ignored. Suzanne Clement, on the other hand, subtly shows us the layers of a withdrawn wife and mother who’s stuttering only begins to subside when around these two larger than life individuals. As the son, Antoine Olivier Pilon is one moment tender and loving and in the next dangerously out of control. All three performances are outstanding and complement each other beautifully.
Technically the film is also great. The editing is seamless and impressively clever. The sound is good and the use of music to accompany the visuals is cannily inspired. Wow! This is really not to be missed.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Benkoko11

Feb 23, 2017

Young Xavier Dolan's stylized masterpiece is a work of heartbreaking humanism and one of the best films of the decade. I'm not sure whats more surprising, that Dolan is only 25 years old, or that this is already his 5th feature film.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

TapeScripts

Jan 23, 2015

A perfect movie. Beautiful, haunting, funny, brutal, hysterical and heathbreaking all at once. Outstanding performances and a visually perfect and varied style.

5 of 5 users found this helpful50

MattBrady99

Jul 3, 2015

You know what sucks? I already did my top movies of 2014 list, now if I only watched this movie before making the list this would have made the list easily. Well I got something to learn next time.

The story is about a single mom's drama about raising her son, who's behavior deterioratesYou know what sucks? I already did my top movies of 2014 list, now if I only watched this movie before making the list this would have made the list easily. Well I got something to learn next time.

The story is about a single mom's drama about raising her son, who's behavior deteriorates into violence, due to a mild mental illness.

I first took interest in the film Mommy just because of the hype and the positive praise it got from the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and the amount of awards it won from the Jutra Awards and Canadian Screen Awards for best Foreign Language film, but not a Academy Award for Foreign Film at the Oscars. Since I am watching more Foreign Language films and searching the ones that got high ratings or just the ones that may interest me, because I'm taking a break from some movies today as they normally not very good or just too Hollywood for me, I mean movies today are getting pretty stale and cliche as nothing feels originally anymore. When Hollywood tries to make a original movie that's down to earth it's laughable. These something about Foreign Language films that always feel real and sometimes so tight with it's story and ending that most movie studios will shy away from and I love it. So I checked out the 2014 Award Wining Mommy and it was absolutely brilliant, I mean how could I even dear overlook this I mean this is a great movie right here and true film making at it's best.

Not only did the Oscar screw up for not awarding this for Best Foreign Language film, they also didn't nominate Anne Dorval for Best Actress, because she did one of the best, the most heart felt and the most real piece of performance I've seen in 2014. I felt her struggle and the mix relationship between her and the missed behaved son. There was many scenes in the movie were the son and her have this argument over each over and it never felt like I was just watching actors reading out the script and pretending that they related, no they back and forward arguments always felt real and I bough it. Oh and I found out most of the awards that this movie won are not just for the Foreign Language Award but most of the awards went to her and she deserves it and a Oscar too for god shake. At the Cannes Film Festival Julianne Moore won for Best Actress for Maps to the Stars and I haven't seen Maps to the Stars yet so I can't really judge on her performance in that movie since I haven't seen it, but Anne Dorval was nominated in that category so it was disappointing that she didn't take the award, but I have seen Still Alice and she won a Oscar for that role, but Anne Dorval should have took that Oscar home as she did a much better than Moore as I connected to Anne Dorval more and how her performance made me feel different emotions that I never felt before while watching the movie.

Antoine-Olivier Pilon is a unknown star to me as I haven't seen him in any other movies before so this is basically the first ever performance I get to see him in and man god can this kid act, I mean he was so good in the movie. Just like I said about Anne Dorval and that is all the time it never felt like acting to me, it felt real. Antoine plays the misbehaved son perfectly that he actually catches the trouble child very well since I have seen young people like him in real life and how they act is just like him. I also love how they never force the message of "He's got a mental illness oh feel sorry for him". The movie never puts that in your face like most movies do when they try to be realistic or make you feel something for the character. He's performance showed both angry, goofy, troubled and damaged but all that is in he's performance and it never feels force and that was so well done that movie didn't slip into that cliche that happens in most movies and that's due to Antoine-Olivier Pilon excellent performance.

The director of the movie Xavier Dolan which I haven't really seen any of his last work so this is my first movie directed by him and a great start. This is film making at it's best, I mean the cinematography is beautiful, the tone of the movie can switch to serious drama but quickly change to happy and many other tones and it didn't ruin the movie like most do. Xavier Dolan did both a excellent job on directing the movie and making this as down to earth as possible showing characters and they problems that most people can relate to. Awesome work Xavier Dolan.

For problems with the movie I haven't really got any to be honest, but I'm not going to give this the perfect rating as I think this isn't on the level of 5/5 rating it can ever get it, but the rating I'm giving it is really outstanding and it's the highest rating I give this week.

Overall I say that Mommy is worth checking it if you haven't seen it yet. It's worth your time and don't do the same mistake as I did and not watch this fantastic movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Sep 6, 2017

Composed by an unpredictable scene after another, Mommy feels like an honest, direct and emotional film, a better way to communicate the feelings of the director, in some moments this film ignores his narrative, but the result is personal, overwhelming and original .

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 23, 2021

This is a good film that makes you wonder how you might cope if you were a single parent of such a badly behaved, disruptive teenager. Its a hard watch at times, certainly and there aren't any real answers given as such - its a sobering watch, a gritty, sobering watch and so it won't appealThis is a good film that makes you wonder how you might cope if you were a single parent of such a badly behaved, disruptive teenager. Its a hard watch at times, certainly and there aren't any real answers given as such - its a sobering watch, a gritty, sobering watch and so it won't appeal to all. I'm not sure how much we're meant to learn by what we see but it is somewhat thought provoking at times and the cast give pretty good performances, so it's not bad. Also, the part where Oasis' Wonderwall is played is certainly somewhat chilling. Its not really a film I'm likely to think about too much as I've seen other films with similar plots but its certainly not bad either, its just a film you really need to be in the right kind of mood for, I'd say. I think the thing I find most sad about it is the name of the film itself (which is referenced in the plotline).

If I had to compare it to any other film, I'd say its like a French version of 'We Need to Talk about Kevin', if that helps. Would I recommend it? yes, I suppose I would.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

May 19, 2017

Une milf limite cougar, névropathe sur les bords, reprend son avorton à la maison, avorton qu'elle aurait dû avorter il y a bien longtemps étant donné les troubles du comportement de l'énergumène (un rain man en devenir sans doute). S'ensuit une véritable bataille rangée entre les deux,Une milf limite cougar, névropathe sur les bords, reprend son avorton à la maison, avorton qu'elle aurait dû avorter il y a bien longtemps étant donné les troubles du comportement de l'énergumène (un rain man en devenir sans doute). S'ensuit une véritable bataille rangée entre les deux, bataille rejointe éventuellement par la voisine d'en face, presque aussi atteinte que les deux autres.

J'avoue qu'on ne tient pas bien longtemps devant ces presque deux heures vingt de salmigondis foutraque, ce dégueulis à peine cinématographique à mi-chemin entre le documentaire fortement faisandé et le "Confessions intimes".

Le film est en 4/3, même beaucoup moins qu'un 4/3 (presque un quatre quarts peut-être) et entièrement en québécois : cela ressemble si peu au français métropolitain qu'on a jugé bon (quelque part à la production ou en haut lieu, que sais-je...) d'activer la traduction simultanée au moyen de sous-titres.

Mais ces misères techniques ne sont en définitive que broutilles (éminemment désagréables certes) en comparaison de la vacuité et de la bêtise incommensurables du propos de ce pseudo-film, pour autant qu'il y eût quelque chose à même de passer pour un "propos" ou un vague contenu dans cette ignominie prétentieuse.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

SEE ALL 19 REVIEWS