TOM AT THE FARM (2013) by Xavier Dolan
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"It’s taut, creepy, compelling and sexy. And, apart from the location, it’s very much a Dolan film, focused on people testing the limits of their love for each other – and themselves." - Ben Walters (Time Out London)
"Starring in, directing and writing (in collaboration with Michel Marc Bouchard, on whose play it's based) a movie at Dolan's tender age is certainly a Wellesian accomplishment. All three actors are convincing, especially Cardinal as the cruel, manipulative Francis, and their characters' behavior feels authentic even when it's not logical." - Marc Mohan (Portland Oregonian)
"Made of equal parts mourning and melancholy, mystery, and possibly madness, the striking Tom at the Farm showcases Dolan’s abundant talents at turning seemingly simple material into a taut, tough film." - James Rocchi (The Wrap)
[Steve]
ahoy folks, welcome to the second discussion of Xavier Dolan month. this week, we'll explore what some critics have dubbed the "anti-Dolan" adaptation called TOM AT THE FARM (2013).
while it certainly does feel like a departure stylistically from Dolan's previous three films (including last week's hyper-expressive LAURENCE ANYWAYS), there are still plenty of Dolan's signature markings present in TOM, albeit in a slightly different presentation.
Dolan utilizes repetition in framing, returning to several locations throughout the film (most notably the kitchen table as a prominent meeting place, among others). using repetition helps create a sense of cohesion and order amidst the chaos of his characters' internal worlds, the latter of which Dolan communicates effectively even without using storytelling devices such as exposition or narration.
Dolan's use of music as a driving force is still ever-present, however in TOM, a traditional film score is used over upbeat songs. there's much less of a "music video" vibe here, which in the case of TOM, works in the narrative's favour. this decision to use a traditional score makes more sense since Dolan is going for a slick psychosexual thriller this time around, similar to the stylings of such greats as Hitchcock and Welles. Dolan proves himself to be capable of dabbling in genre filmmaking, which is a daring choice given how bold and expressive his previous work is. there's a sense of blankness to TOM AT THE FARM, an emptiness that never really dissipates, even up until the ending of the film.
while i won't spoil anything directly, Dolan continues to experiment with aspect ratio and framing like he did in LAURENCE ANYWAYS (as you will come to learn by the end of the month, this is one of the signature marks of Dolan as an auteur).
join us on Sunday, June 14 at 10am at the Red Brick Cafe for part deux of Xavier Dolan month.
you can stream TOM AT THE FARM on Netflix and Crave. you can also rent it on Apple TV and Prime. you can watch it for free here: https://www.lookmovie2.to/movies/play/1692184683-tom-a-la-ferme-2013
as always, happy watching! 🏳️⚧️ 🇨🇦 🏳️🌈