Watched the movie I Killed My Mother recently and it was a memorable experience. Not every parent is cut out to be be one and even when they are, they often fail to perform to the expectations of the child. They almost always fail to meet their own standards if they are being honest with themselves, Such is the tragedy of parenthood to balance out all its joys and rewards.
Chantal in this movie was never cut out for motherhood and then she is dealt a bad hand in life forcing her to be a single-mom to a son who at the time of telling the story is moody teen and has a boyfriend. It's a combination that would daunt the best mothers out there but it completely routs Chantal. She copes the best she can, escapes when she can't solve and resolve problems. Her coping strategies make difficult conditions in her relationship with her son absolutely unbearable for him. He acts out in response.
The struggle to love the mother when it is just about impossible to love her, when the communication is irretrievably broken are depicted with great sensitivity. The conflict between Chantal and her son plays out in mundane ways in every mother-child relationship no matter how wonderful the mother or how docile the child. There is a phase of hate that must come to pass, it may vary in degree and manifestation but it is what it takes to free the child from the mother to become their own person. In the best circumstances, it is expressed in a muted way for a short period of time but at the far end of the spectrum the outcomes could be pretty tragic.
The matricide reference is allegorical but the tension is palpable throughout the movie. Chantal is largely expressionless in the face of the onslaught from her sun and she copes by being angry, snarky and friendly in random order almost to keep him alert. As an outsider looking into the mother-son relationship, it is much easier to be sympathetic to the son than to the cold and manipulative mother. But as we know in real-life the truth is never so black and white. While Chantal exudes an insufferable aura, she has a story too - she is a product of her circumstances and may be deserving of latitude and consideration.
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