Surviving My Mother

Having been infused with a distinctly mainstream sensibility, Surviving My Mother possesses few of the offbeat attributes that one has come to associate with Canadian cinema – with the end result an uneven yet entertaining effort that’ll probably have a more positive effect on viewers of the fairer sex (ie this is ultimately a chick flick through and though). Starring Ellen David and Caroline Dhavernas, the film follows middle-aged mom Clara (David) as she strives to get to know her sexually-promiscuous daughter (Dhavernas’ Bianca) following the death of her own mother (Veronique Le Flaguais). It’s a familiar premise that’s elevated by several better-than-expected performances and Steve Galluccio’s sporadically sharp screenplay, although, in terms of the latter, there’s little doubt that the increasingly trashy storyline results in a comparatively less-than-enthralling third act. The emotional impact of the finale is consequently dulled by this emphasis on soap-opera level plot twists, with the re-appearance of Clara’s dead mom certainly the most obvious (and needless) of the film’s overwrought elements. Still, Surviving My Mother undeniably benefits from Dhavernas’ bright and personable work and it is awfully difficult not to be drawn into the lives of these dysfunctional characters (ie stripped of any expectations, the film is ideal entertainment for a lazy Sunday afternoon).

**1/2 out of ****