J’AI TUE MA MERE (I KILLED MY MOTHER) (Canada 2009) ****
Directed by Xavier Nolan

In the Italian Taviani Brothers classic PADRE PADRONE, there is a scene where the father disrupts the class of his son to take his son home to tend the sheep.  It is a powerful scene as it reveals both the father’s power over the boy and the boy’s total embarrassment over the situation.  In J’AI TUE MA MERE, a similar powerful scene has the mother disrupting her son’s class to scold him in front of both classmates and teacher for a bad deed.

A minor sensation winning 3 prizes at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, Xavier Nolan’s directorial debut is a must-see if not only for the talent of this 19-year old Montrealer who not only directed but wrote and starred in the film.
J’AI TUE MA MERE (direct English translation: I KILLED MY MOTHER) is a semi-autobiographical tale of a teen gay, Hubert (Dolan) coming to terms with a struggling relationship with his mother.  Though no real solid reason - perhaps this is Nolan’s intention not to have one - is offered to his inability to show maternal affection outwardly, the fights are totally credible primarily for the fact that the two keep adding fuel to the fights no matter how insignificant the cause of one might be.  The arguments alternate between hilarity and downright scary which shows how well Dolan can play his audience.  The film’s most touching scene is a real one – when the mother confesses her complete hurt at her son not coming out to her.  This is a fact of life only a parent of a gay child can fully understand! 

Anne Dorval, a veteran Quebecios stage actress is marvellous as the mother as Nolan as the cool and troubled teen. 

Director Dolan shows a keen eye towards the cinematic as illustrated by the painting segments (fast, slow, overlapping) that leads to a very erotic love-making scene.  This is as if Dolan is saying to straight audiences as to how gays make passionate love.

The killing of Hubert’s mother is not a physical one, but by means no less disruptive.  Besides all the brutality, Dolan’s film contains pieces of sensitivity and tenderness, especially towards the end.  J’AI TUE MA MERE already opened in Quebec in 2009 and caused some talk at the Toronto International Film Festival where it premiered English Canada.