Maman est chez le coiffeur

This was a very good surprise movie. I saw it at Cineqest, a film festival Northern California, walking in blindly without knowing much about it. From the title "My Mother is at the Hairdresser's" I was expecting a light comedy. Though there are comic moments in the film, the movie really is a coming of age film. Set in the early 70's, in an idyllic setting, the film deals many issues that all families deal with, marriage problems, education, prejudice, isolation, but also is able to look at the bright side of life, young love, community bonding, etc., and looks at them in a very honest way.

The real find is Marianne Fortier, who plays the eldest daughter Elise. We see the film mostly through her eyes, and feel deep sympathy for her as she deals with a family breaking apart, a younger brother, whom she loves, being taken away. We see her cry very deep tears, yet hear her laughter throughout this wonderful film.

I'm really becoming quite fond of French Canadian cinema.This film, like so many others are filled with wonderful scenes of people being in nature, modern life being lived in very beautiful, natural settings. I'm reminded of many wonderful films, The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions, Seducing Dr. Lewis, Strangers in Good Company...and the quintissential Canadian film My Uncle Antoine. This film will enfold you, as all great films do, in its embrace and remind you of what it is to be human.

Seen in Montreal, in French, with English subtitles.

I highly recommend this film--the young actress, Marianne Fortier, is amazing--look out for her! She captured a 1950's fifteen year old very accurately: childlike sometimes, a woman sometimes, a sister, friend, daughter. Makes me want to find her only other film, Aurore (2005).

The other actors are good also, especially that playing her youngest brother, Hugo St-Onge-Paquin.

The script is believable, engaging and not predictable.

Go beyond any aversion you may have to subtitles on this one, it is worth your time.

Mommy Is At The Hairdresser's

Set in 1966 the movies approaches the themes with the ideas of the time, much was good as I will explore, but the movie failed to examine clearly the drivers that lay behind behaviour. Seeming autobiographical it was largely presented as a series of emotional responses, how "French".

For a mother to abandon her children (if I don't leave I will die) as presented in the movie is one thing but to movie to London, another country and continent is another. An overheard conversation and an inference is not a sufficient driver, it needed to be stated clearly, she believed he had a homosexual lover who he played golf with. However this was not discussed between mommy and daddy and it needed to be for coherence. If this was the case she could have moved out nearby and relocated with the children.

Instead of feeling sympathy for the mother we hated her for her selfishness.

The movie then segwayed into a children's movie trying to understand parental behaviour. The leading understander was Eloise the daughter who sorted solace with a local mute fly fisherman who made flies to sell.

To my mind as a movie is was visually ravishing but the story lacked emotional intelligence or any arch like structure. This is a 3 outta 10 from me!