TotalTelly.co.uk
Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV
Ma Mere [2005]
![Ma Mere [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21DZRN0QATL._SL160_.jpg)
With the tragic death of his father, Pierre is left alone for the first time with his mother Helene (Isabelle Huppert - I Heart Huckabees) who, along with her gang of femme fatales, draws her son into a dangerous world of sexual transgression, illicit desire and taboo-busting libertinism. Truly one of the great new directors of our time, Honoré handles this gripping, controversial, steamy and moving film with a passion and precision of execution that is second to none. Ma Mere crashes through the boundaries of social acceptability and creates its own world on the other side.
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £5.00 (subject to change)
Editorial
DVD Description
When 17 year-old Pierre (Louis Garrel – The Dreamers) heads off to spend the summer holidays with his parents on the Canary Islands, a series of dramatic events throws his world into chaos and leaves his life changed forever.
Editorial
Special Features
Interview with Director Christophe Honore Interview with Emma de Caunes (Hansi) Alternative ending Deleted scene Theatrical trailer
Editorial
Synopsis
Adapted from the provocative novel by transgressive postmodern intellectual and author Georges Bataille, MA MERE is set in the visually lush and spiritually empty tourist trap of the Canary Islands. Louis Garrel, projecting the same European sultriness that was perfectly suited to Bertolucci's more warmly erotic film THE DREAMERS, plays Pierre, a sulking and antisocial teenager, willfully indifferent to being on summer vacation with his parents. When his wayward father suddenly dies, his mother Helene (Isabelle Huppert), forces him into her universe of illicit sex--a simultaneously ugly and playful realm inhabited by Gallic sophisticates engaging in orgies and bondage. Pierre, a devout Catholic, is resistant at first--to the point of Catholic guilt-induced attacks of sobbing and hyperventilation. But after fulfilling experiences with Helene's male and female playmates, Pierre obsessively pursues the sexual attention of his own mother, and a disturbing quest toward consummation of the attraction between mere and fils is undertaken. Star Isabelle Huppert's role as Helene is a perfect follow-up to her award-winning turn in the equally shocking LA PIANISTE, which featured the French fatale engaging in illicit acts with both a young male student and her own controlling, elderly mother. With her just barely constrained and visibly volatile sexual energy, the actress has become known as the "go-to girl" for roles that transcend sexual and social taboos and explore the dark and violent side of erotic desire. Her overpowering presence in MA MERE, as all great performances do, make the viewer wonder just how blurry the boundaries between actress and role have become.
Editorial
The Times
‘disconcerting, but fascinating..this is Huppert at her best’
Editorial
The Independent
‘Huppert is absolutely compelling and unnerving’
Could have been so much better
Review date: 2008-07-20 Rating: 6 out of 10
I was fascinated by the concept of a teenaged boy having to go and live with his mysterious, morally ambiguous mother, but the two lead actors are compelling and talented enough for this film to have been far more subtle in its exploration of her amorality. I loved the first 20 minutes or so, and then it all became a bit more tacky than it needed to be.
That said, I found it an interesting curio and I could watch Isabelle Huppert sit and do nothing.
All in all, rather odd and could have been so much better.
Similar Products
Reviews
So bad it's almost fun.....
Review date: 2008-05-22 Rating: 2 out of 10
Remember the old saying "vice is nice but incest is best" ? Not in this case it isn't. Anybody harbouring illicit desires should watch this - it will put you off the idea for life. Which is probably the only reason for recommending this movie. I could go into detail (Huppert sleepwalking through the script, what's a nice girl like Emma de Caunes doing in this dog of a movie) but I'm too busy laughing at James the King's excellent review. Go read it, he says it all.
Excellent. Daring and extremely raunchy
Review date: 2008-05-14 Rating: 10 out of 10
I don't understand the previous poor reviews, this is a compelling psychological study with lots of explicit sex
thrown in for good measure.
The performances are exceptional, particularly by Garrel , better known for his role as the twin brother in Bertolucci's "The Dreamers," and Huppert. With this film, Huppert again proves that her range is limitless and that she is one of most daring and fearless actresses working in today's cinema.
great!
Review date: 2008-05-14 Rating: 8 out of 10
i'm very glad i decided to watch the film regardless of the bad reviews, as i thought it was brilliant and actually watched it another three times. I am a great fan of foreign cinema and this story, though crude in many parts was a treat of a film to watch with beautiful cinematography and a great cast. Well worth a watch.
Nice if you like Emma de Caunes ; otherwise not
Review date: 2008-03-09 Rating: 4 out of 10
Just a brief review. This film is largely dull and the sexual manoeuverings in it are, to use an old-fashioned word, often distasteful. It is beautifully shot in places and there are certainly memorable moments in a visual sense, but the characters are largely unappealing, the plot meandering, motivation often bewildering and the whole thing strangely pointless. I've given it two stars for the not very good reason that Emma de Caunes is in it and she looks terrific ... otherwise it would have been one.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Louis Garrel
Emma De Caunes
Isabelle Huppert
Creators:
Isabelle Huppert (Primary Contributor)
Louis Garrel (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Revolver Entertainment
Manufacturer: Revolver Entertainment
EAN: 5060018488479
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2005-04-25
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 140 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: French (Original Language)