16. Mommy
Director: Xavier Dolan
Stars: Anne Dorvel, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzane Clement
Synopsis: A widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household.
Mommy is a roller coaster of emotions. Director Xavier Dolan has found a nice balance between the heavy and light moments — and it isn't artificial either— because we can all understand difficult children can be fun to be around, too. It's a pretty brilliantly observed view on the life of a single mother trying to do the best for her very, very difficult son. This is a must-see for any fan of hard-hitting, though slightly charming foreign films. — Rik Burnsting
