1. Jai Tue Ma Mere/I Killed My Mother (2009)
I love Xavier Dolan. He is an enormously talented young individual who has, by the age of 24, acted in fifteen films, written and directed four, and even taken on his own music video (which is excellent). He is one of my favourite directors working today, and his debut feature, I Killed My Mother, is one of the best films I have ever seen, of any genre. This is a bold claim, but not one I am making lightly. The first time I watched it, I felt taken to a place that films dare to go; into the realm of absolute truth. Written when Dolan was only 16, starring him, directed by him, and semi-autobiographical to boot, the film explores the troubled relationship between Hubert Minel and his single mother, Chantale Lemming. As the shocking title might suggest, Hubert does not love his mother. Or rather, he does, but he also hates her. He is also gay (as Dolan himself is), and over 96 minutes you are shown their relationship in uncompromisingly, nearly uncomfortable intimacy. The rituals and tribulations of family life are laid bare- the moments where things are ticking along nicely, and the moments where the relationships explode. This is not a clear-cut film- Hubert at least tries hard in certain scenes, and to call Chantale a perfect mother would be stretching the truth. How these two flawed people collide makes for cinematic fireworks. The film carries the bigger themes, such as the reverse-oedipal bent (she is the one who is hurt when she discovers her sons sexuality) with ease and the film as a whole has a rare and uncommon maturity. From a stylistic viewpoint, the film excels, as Dolan carefully and expertly deploys his big bag of cinematic tricks, including slow-motion and carefully placed symbolism, as well as a technique I had never seen before where a scene was preceded with a few frames of what was going occur- so a scene at a supermarket was preceded by pictures of oranges, fish, etc. It owes a lot to the French New Wave, as well as many other film-makers and films, but the film never comes off as homage, remaining, unwaveringly, Dolans vision. Its a feast for the eyes as well as the soul. Yet what is most notable is that for a film of queer cinema, the fact of Huberts homosexuality is never the issue; its that he hasnt told his mother, and the impact it has on her. The gay themes are relatively normalised, which makes a stark contrast for something like Totally F***ed Up. I would even go as far as to say that Huberts boyfriend could be replaced for a girlfriend and none of the impact would be diminished. It is a film about mothers and sons at its core and it acts as a riposte to the heteronormity of Hollywood. The issue is not that Hubert loves another man. The issue is that he feels he doesnt love his mother. The film does not treat this brute fact as an issue, or even a theme. To paraphrase Frank Zappa, Huberts gay, and he likes to be that way. This is why the film is universal. The way the film explores the notion of motherhood, and bond, is one that that is unmatched by any film, regardless of genre. I was left crying by some scenes, because, goddammit, thats what it was like with my mother! And thats that, really. If you have a mother, see this film. It is an experience that you owe it to yourself, as a human being, to have.