Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be committed: the murder of childhood.
Xavier Dolan's debut feature is a remarkable semi-autobiographical work marked by raw, confessional energy. The performances, particularly Anne Dorval and Dolan himself, are emotionally electric and carry the film's volatile mother-son dynamic with extraordinary authenticity. Novelty earns a high mark because Dolan's voice is immediately unmistakable — his visual sensibility, use of music, and intensely personal register announced a genuinely singular filmmaker at 19. The plot, while compelling, is somewhat episodic and repetitive in its cycles of conflict and reconciliation, keeping it from the top tier. The ending, poetic and deliberately ambiguous, works thematically but may feel slightly underwhelming given the emotional buildup. Cinematography blends handheld intimacy with stylized interludes in a way that is interesting but uneven for a debut.