This film, based on a George Bataille book (enough said), is about a pious young boy called Pierre who comes home from boarding school only to be drawn into his mother Hélène's web of sexual lasciviousness, kinky and perverse goings on and libertinism. Pierre is corrupted and things between him and Hélène get pretty incestuous. At the end of the movie, Hélène, who is tired of her world of debauchery, decides to get Pierre to corroborate in her suicide by masturbating as she slits her throat. Later, when viewing her in the morgue, Pierre whips his manhood out and starts masturbating while shouting "I don't want to die". There is not a great deal of critical love for Ma Mère, probably because people are scared someone will shout "pervert!" at them if they admit to liking the film. It is rather grim and icky, but Isabelle Huppert, appearing as the dissipated mother Hélène, always puts on a good performance. Nevertheless, you are unlikely to watch the film more than once.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
