Yo maté a mi madre

With his first feature, Montrealer Xavier Dolan has delivered what is already one of the most talked-about directorial debuts of 2009. In a triple-threat feat, Dolan writes, directs and stars in J'ai tué ma mère, the semi-autobiographical tale of a young gay man coming of age while struggling with his tortured relationship with his mother.

Their fights escalate until mom hatches a toxic plan: Hubert will be shipped off to boarding school. He is aghast but has little choice, as mom has managed to convince her ex-husband that a change of scenery is in the lad's best interests. Being banished to a mother-free zone might have seemed a good option for Hubert, but the move simply leads to an ultimate standoff between them. Dolan and Dorval navigate their way through the harried, increasingly vicious tête-à-têtes with delicacy, evoking sympathy for both characters.

Dolan's enthusiasm for cinema can be felt throughout J'ai tué ma mère. Combining assured writing, a confident directorial style (the scene where Hubert makes love to his boyfriend is a standout) and a beautifully rendered performance, Dolan's arrival on the big screen is an achievement that can't be ignored.

Maybe, the realism represents the main virtue of this real great film. A film about a love haunting many of us. About an unique age and about, with admirable high honesty, a relation confuse, always, in its essence. For me is simple - J'ai tué ma mère represents just a simple and convincing proof about the genius of Xavier Dolan. Because it is more than a powerful artistic fim. It represents a sort of confession, more of viewer than the director. A sort of large mirror reflection. Short, just great.

I just finished watching this film online with poorly translated subtitles which made it difficult to decipher what the characters were saying some of the time, however I got the gist of what was going on.

A few of the reviews I've read have said they couldn't stand the main character and it dragged the film down. I think this film works because the main character is so bratty! He is absolutely wretched to his mother at some points and his mother perfectly nice back to him. One reviewer said they couldn't understand why he was so mean to his mother 'for no reason'. I actually related to Hubert's character getting annoyed at little things because when you're a teenager everything about your parent can annoy you! The first scene is stellar with the mother having cream cheese on her face and it annoying Hubert.

I also believe that him being a 'closeted' gay and wanting freedom from his mother would also have been contributing factors as to why he was such a brat to his mother. The constant struggle between wanting to be independent of your parents but also not being quite old enough to be completely alone and still depending on a parent is what is captured so well in this film. I like that you can see the angst between mother and son from the child's eyes, frustrated yet loving. Hubert is a tortured soul! Everything is a little exaggerated, but wasn't every little problem a big deal when you were 16?

This film was great in my eyes. I got a lot of entertainment from it and it's an amazing effort for the first directorial. It is definitely stylised and borrows from the likes of Wong Kar Wai (violins??) but it suits the film and contemporary setting and interests of young adults today.

Yo maté a mi madre (2009) is the first film of Xavier Dolan realized a decade ago. I lately discovered it in order to complete the filmography of this brilliant Quebec director. This film focuses on the stormy and tempestuous relationship between a son and his mother, and turns out to be an autofiction, the autobiographical part remaining undisclosed, as in any secret garden.

We distinctively perceive the characteristic atmosphere of Xavier Dolan's filmography: as an excellent habit, this dark and sensual film is based on a hyper sensitivity and a keen sense of photography. Usually, most of the characters are on edge or even disturbed. In this movie, Hubert Minel is the only one. As if, in this partially autobiographical work, Xavier Dolan wanted to assume alone the chaos emanating from this extreme mother-son relationship. In this respect, it's quite successful: he is indeed sometimes an assh*le and deeply disrespectful with his mum and one almost wants to slap him. An elegant way to publicly and solemnly ask for the forgiveness of his tender mother.

As actors, Anne Dorval, Xavier Dolan and Suzanne Clément are truly excellent. As a director, Xavier Dolan offers us a high-quality first film.

I attended a screening of "J'ai Tué Ma Mère" at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Based on his own childhood and adolescence in Québec, Xavier Dolan's film probes the relationship between mother and child when the son's sexuality is in question. Awkward early relationships are difficult for any teen, let alone one burdened with his own fears and mother's unwillingness to accept his "difference." Arguments and fight scenes between Dolan and his mom (the stunning Anne Dorval) are painful to watch, but tender love scenes with François Arnaud provide a stark and welcome contrast.

The film is filled with anger, sadness, love, hate, and humor -- lots of it. It's a winner and received a standing ovation here. And some inspiration for budding filmmakers: Dolan wrote, directed, produced, and starred in J'ai Tué Ma Mère at the age of 19.