Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Mommy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 26, 2015

Winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and nine Canadian Screen Awards, Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Seville/Entertainment One. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with Xavier Dolan, producer Nancy Grant, cinematographer Andre Turpin, and actress Anne Dorval; deleted and extended scenes; archival footage from the Cannes Film Festival; and video interview with the Canadian director. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles. Region-A "locked".

Just another boy

The film opens up with a short note clarifying that a fictional government in Canada has introduced the S-18 bill aiming to amend the local health services policy. With it the government has also passed the controversial W/S-14 law, which allows parents to place children with behavior problems in the care of any public hospital without legal examination.

In an unnamed medical center, single mother Diane 'Die' Despres (Anne Dorval, Laurence Anyways) reunites with her 15-year-old ADHD son, Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon, TV's Les Argonautes). It is not an easy decision for her as she barely makes ends meet, but the alternative is to have him sent to a juvenile correctional facility because he has seriously injured another boy. Die is convinced that once there Steve’s condition will deteriorate even more and he would end up in jail.

The two return home and Die is immediately reminded why Steve was admitted in the medical center -- his outbursts transform him into an angry animal that could easily kill. She tries to remain calm, but her face reveals that she is terrified. A day later, Die is fired after Steve confronts a black taxi driver and she arrives late at her office.

Things get better when Kyla (Suzanne Clément, I Killed My Mother), a stuttering schoolteacher from across the street, befriends Die and begins helping Steve. For awhile, Die assumes that Steve’s condition will improve and his life will change dramatically -- here is a phenomenal sequence in which she imagines how he is accepted at a prestigious university and later on marries the girl of his dreams -- but his outbursts become even more intense. Eventually, Kyla and her husband also decide to relocate to Toronto.

Young Canadian director Xavier Dolan’s Mommy is the type of film the great Maurice Pialat would have endorsed. Indeed, its visual style is very bold and unique and its intensity easily matches that of Pialat’s best dramas.

The script, also written by Dolan, is extraordinary, pure dynamite. The words hit hard and leave one wondering why life can be so damn unfair at times. Throughout the entire film there is certain rawness on display that feels completely authentic, not added for dramatic flavor.

The majority of Mommy is presented in the unusual 1.00:1 ratio which creates the impression that the main protagonists are locked in a cage. When Dolan occasionally lets them free, the image expands to the traditional 1.78:1 ratio. The transitions are very effective and one can literally feel the happiness that fills their hearts.

The film also has a phenomenal soundtrack. Beautiful tracks by Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Oasis, and Lana Del Ray are carefully used to enhance the dramatic atmosphere. Arguably the most touching sequence in the entire film, however, features a fragment from Celine Dion’s On ne change pas. Pure magic captured on film.

Last year, Mommy was selected to represent Canada in the Foreign Language Film Category at the 87nd Academy Awards.

Mommy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.00:1 (with a few short sequences framed in 1.78:1), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Xavier Dolan's Mommy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Seville/Entertainment One.

The film looks fantastic on Blu-ray. Because natural light is captured in different ways, some minor depth fluctuations exist, but definition and clarity are outstanding. Well-lit close-ups and the daylight footage approach what I consider to be reference material. The short sequences where Dolan opens up the film to 1.78:1 look particularly impressive. Colors are rich, stable, and natural. There are no stability issues. Lastly, the there are no encoding anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is a very beautiful and very convincing presentation of Mommy which is guaranteed to please its fans as well as viewers who are going to experience the film for the first time on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Mommy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release. French (Canadian) DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English and French SDH subtitles have been provided for the main feature.

The lossless track opens up the film very well despite the fact that there is no impressive surround movement. Random sounds and noises are exceptionally easy to identify. The dialog is also stable and easy to follow, but there are a few sequences where it is not centered or balanced. However, this unevenness is part of the film's original sound design. The music sounds great. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report on this review.

English and French optional subtitles: The subtitles are positioned rather low. If your TV moves them at the very bottom of the frame, you need to disable overscan. If you are using a projector, this will not be an issue for you.

Mommy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - audio commentary with Xavier Dolan, producer Nancy Grant, cinematographer Andre Turpin, and actress Anne Dorval (Die). In French, not subtitled in English.

• Deleted Scenes - a gallery of deleted and extended scenes. In French, with optional English subtitles. (23 min, 1080p).
  
  1. Die cooks and counts
  2. Steve's ride (extended version)
  3. Die and Kyla's kitchen talk (extended version)
  4. Die at Marthe's, a good crazy laugh
  5. Steve meets Kyla's daughter
  6. Die and Kyla, lost at the cafe
  7. Die wants her job back
  8. Steve lying down in his cell
  9. Die in Steve's room

• Cannes Acceptance Ceremony - last year, Xavier Dolan's film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Presented here is his entire acceptance speech. In French and English, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (8 min, 1080p).

• Xavier Dolan Indiewire Interview - in this long interview, Xavier Dolan discusses the production history of Mommy, his work with the cast, some of the key conflicts in the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080p).

Mommy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is difficult to explain with simple words how moving Xavier Dolan's latest film, Mommy, truly is. The issues it deals with are not new, but the pure emotions on display are often beyond overwhelming. If the great French director Maurice Pialat was still alive, I think that he would have enthusiastically endorsed it. Currently, in North America Mommy is available on Blu-ray only in Canada, courtesy of local distributors Seville/Entertainment One. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.