Xavier Dolan is definitely an impressive young man. He is 24 and has made 4 feature films, of which Tom at the Farm is his latest. I saw his previous film, Lawrence Anyway (about a man transitioning into a woman, and the effect that has on his long term relationship), last year and found it really interesting. Not perfect, but interesting. I find with Dolan's films that there is so much potential, but not everything has been 100% flushed out. It's like his films are the draft right before the final draft--good, but not quite there yet.
Tom at the Farm, in contrast, seems like a first draft. The idea is interesting, and as always, the way the film is shot and the acting are quite good, but there are so many things wrong with the story, that you just couldn't really get behind it. Add to that the way he constructs one of his female characters, and I was ready to SCREAM in rage at the end of this movie.
The movie centres on Tom, a young gay man from Montreal whose boyfriend Guy has just died (we don't know how, and never find out). Tom is on his way to a small farming community in rural Quebec to pay his respects to Guy's family, and to attend the funeral. As soon as he arrives, you know that something is wrong. The mother, Agathe, is strange, but you could chalk that up to her just losing her son (and her husband before that), and living on an isolated farm. Then you find out that Agathe has another son, Francis, that Guy never told Tom about. The first time we meet Francis is also the first time Tom meets him-in the middle of the night in Tom's bedroom, with Francis physically attacking him and threatening him. It seems as though Agathe doesn't know that Guy was gay, and that Guy and Francis kept up a lie to her that he actually had a pretend girlfriend Sarah. Francis is clearly extremely homophobic (whether this might have something to do with his own repressed sexuality, never gets fully addressed) and tells Tom that he better keep up the lie to his mother.
At the funeral, which Tom was supposed to talk at but doesn't have the courage to, Francis ends up attacking Tom in the bathroom telling him he must make it up to his mother (for not speaking). On the way back to the farm, Tom drives off to leave Agathe and Francis forever, but eventually changes his mind and turns back. This is where the film really stops making sense. I can believe that someone would stay for the funeral (despite being threatened by a terrifying sociopath) out of a feeling of duty to their deceased partner, but once the funeral is over, there is no reason to go back to that crazy situation (not even to get your luggage).
When Tom gets back to the farm, Francis again attacks him to the point where he has to go to the doctor to get bandaged up. Again, why he didn't tell the doctor what really happened and get the fuck out of there, especially as it becomes clear that the entire community will not engage with Francis or his mother, is beyond me.
Once again, Tom tries to leave, this time however, Francis has put his car up on blocks, and so he can't. Again, why you wouldn't just leave the farm, hitchhike into town and tell the police, I'm not really sure? Tom starts working on the farm with Francis, taking care of the cows etc. There is a strange scene after they deliver a calf, where Francis forces Tom to do coke with him and then they waltz together (apparently Francis and Guy took dance lessons together-which again doesn't make much sense to me considering the level of Francis' homophobia) while Francis tells Tom about how he wants his mother to die so he doesn't have to look after her anymore etc.
Eventually Tom gets so desperate that he calls someone (presumably in Montreal) to come and see him at the farm. Sarah, his and Guy's friend that Guy and Francis based the fake girlfriend on, comes-but again, this doesn't really make that much sense-are they really close, does she feel bad for him b/c his boyfriend died? Isn't she wondering what the fuck he's been doing living on this farm for weeks?
Agathe is overjoyed to meet Sarah (although you suspect that she must know that something isn't quite right-why wouldn't her son's girlfriend have attended the funeral?). Almost immediately, in the few minutes they are alone together, Francis threatens Sarah. He looks at her and says one of the worst things I've ever heard in a film:
"I'd fuck you. I'd fuck you so that your little cunt would bleed"
He starts towards her and Sarah grabs a huge kitchen knife and says something along the lines of, if you come close to me, I'll kill you.
Sarah takes Tom outside and says/does the only things that make sense in the movie: this place is fucking crazy, we are leaving now, get your shit and let's go. They also have a bizarre conversation in which Sarah reveals that she slept with Guy, as did many other people, and that Tom is deluded about their relationship-this seems to come out of nowhere as a way to justify Tom's actions that come next.
Tom refuses to leave (again, why? I mean Stockholm syndrome can only go so far right?) Francis joins the conversation and tells Sarah she isn't leaving. When Sarah sticks up for herself, saying I'm not afraid of you, I'm leaving, Tom insinuates that he will help Francis hurt her (is this b/c he's hurt that she slept with his boyfriend? even so, I'm not sure why he too has turned into a monster).
The next scene is where any of the legitimacy the film could have had, is burnt down. We see Francis and Sarah in the front of Francis' truck, with Tom in the back seat. They are parked outside the bus station. Sarah says she is really drunk and Francis keeps giving her more booze. They are laughing and hammered. Francis tells Tom to take a walk, insinuating to leave them alone so that they could have sex. Sarah does not object, and Tom gets out of the car and goes into the truck-stop bar.
THERE IS NO WOMAN IN THE WORLD who after having a crazy psychopath pretty much threaten to rape/assault her, would then hours later get drunk with him (perhaps that part was forced) and willingly be alone in his car with him, and then have sex with him. NO WAY, NO ONE, INSANE, RIDICULOUS. They are in a parking lot where there are other people-she could have gotten out and gotten help. Also, the fact that Tom so willingly leaves her with him is pretty repulsive. Even if you are hurt by someone's actions, are you really going to leave them alone with someone who you know is a terrifying violent abusive person.
At this point is where I really checked out of the movie, because I really found this whole part repulsive, insane, unrealistic, and just down right idiotic.
We don't see Sarah again, except in the background as she gets on the bus to leave. Inside the truck-stop bar, Tom finds out why the whole town is scared of Francis--in the same bar years ago, he literally ripped a man's mouth and jaw from his face, after the man insinuated his brother was gay. Why Francis isn't (or wasn't) in jail again makes no sense. Eventually Tom escapes, Francis comes after him, chases him into a wooded area. Tom makes his way back to Francis' car on the highway and drives off in it. Later when he stops for gas, he sees the man that Francis attacked. That's how it ends. UGH.
The Q and A after the film gave me an even worse feeling about the film and about Dolan as a filmmaker. Dolan couldn't answer any of the questions people asked him about the film, and he seemed really immature, arrogant, and poorly spoken. Like, you directed the film, and acted in it (he played Tom), and you brought it to a film festival-why can't you articulate anything about it? I was tempted to put up my hand and ask him "why do you hate women?," especially after the actress who played Sarah (who was present for the Q and A) stated that Xavier wrote great women (!?!?!), but I decided against it-as I don't think it would have gone over well (and considering Dolan couldn't even answer the most basic of questions from the audience, I don't think he would have been any better at addressing mine).
The thing that upsets me most about this film is that because Dolan is revered as the young talent in Canadian filmmaking, he'll get applauded for this film even though it isn't very good, and is really offensive to anyone who thinks women are more than just vaginas. Anyway, save yourself some time and rage, and don't see this!
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