Most filmmakers can only dream of having made five features and winning the Jury Prize at Cannes by the age of 25. Most filmmakers aren’t Xavier Dolan.

With Mommy he shows off his frighteningly assured direction, every shot guided with uncommon flair and imagination.

He is matched by a pair of refreshingly brash and uninhibited performances from Pilon and Dorval as Steve and Diane, his mommy. Their lust for life and love for each other is fighting to burst out the restraints of Dolan’s 1:1 frame – a canny choice that brings a tempering claustrophobia to larger than life characters.

A few false endings weaken Mommy’s power and Pilon can annoy as much as he entertains at times, but the technicolour energy present onscreen is one of the most electrifying things this year. If you didn’t know who Dolan was before, you will now.

RATING: 5/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément, Patrick Huard

DIRECTOR: Xavier Dolan

WRITER: Xavier Dolan

SYNOPSIS: A widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbour inserts herself into their household.