Ma Mere

Critics Consensus

Pretentious, overly perverse and dull.

14%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 43

48%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 4,588
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Ma Mere Photos

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Movie Info

An attractive widow finds her attentions turning to her teenage son in a troubling manner in this drama from France. Pierre (Louis Garrel) is a moody 17-year-old who is spending the summer with his parents at their summer home in the Canary Islands. While Pierre isn't especially close to his father (Philippe Duclos), he enjoys a warm relationship with his mother, Hélène (Isabelle Huppert) -- almost too warm, as her affection for him subtly strains the boundaries of typical familial behavior. When Pierre's father dies unexpectedly in an auto accident, his emotional dependence on Hélène grows, while her desire for her son does the same. Though Pierre finds himself attracted to several girls his own age summering on the island, he finds it increasingly difficult to reconcile his curiosity with the growing sexual tension between mother and son.
  • Rating:
    NC17 (for strong and aberrant sexual content)
  • Genre:
    Art House & International, Drama
  • Directed By:
    Christophe Honoré
  • Written By:
    Christophe Honoré
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    TLA Releasing

Cast

Isabelle Huppert
as Hélène
Louis Garrel
as Pierre
Emma de Caunes
as Hansi
Joana Preiss
as Rea
Jean-Baptiste Montagut
as Loulou
Dominique Reymond
as Marthe
Olivier Rabourdin
as Robert
Philippe Duclos
as The Father
Pascal Tokatlian
as Klaus
Theo Hakola
as Ian
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Critic Reviews for Ma Mere

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (37)

View All Critic Reviews (43)

Audience Reviews for Ma Mere

  • Jul 21, 2016
    Despite how flat it seems at first, this French film is so provocative and perverse that I'm afraid a lot of people won't get its point, and I love how it explores the vulnerability of Garrel's character through his constant nudity and overflowing sexual desire.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Dec 21, 2009
    European cinema at its best! Producer Paulo Branco has been producing some of the best films and best directors in Europe and this is one of the latest ones. Absolutely amazing, in depicting obsession, incest, dysfunction, love, selfishness, acceptation, pain... It's particularly brilliant how time and space is (not) presented. The ending is terrific and the perfect conclusion to the story. Absolutely superb, a film I think only French could have the audacity to do... I hope European Cinema gets more protection so that we can keep watching these master pieces, otherwise we'll just have to stay dumb watching the main pop corn stream...
    Cassandra M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 15, 2009
    SPOILER ALERT - I really thought I knew what I was getting with this movie. I knew there was a sexually confused son, back from boarding school who has an odd relationship with his mother. And I knew it was NC-17. And I actually thought most of the movie was pretty B/B- worthy. BUT the last 20 minutes or so goes from unconventional, to uncomfortable, to just plain FUCKED Up. And just when I thought it was over, the son jerks off to his dead mom.
    Sunil J Super Reviewer
  • Mar 24, 2009
    provocative and there's not really a great deal of incest in it so don't be put off by that. it's worth a watch. just a shame about the very rushed and shit ending. i found it funny at times actually. call me crazy but a mother telling her son how much of a slut she is just seems hilarious to me! i think there's black comedy in there somewhere if you have a bit of a sick mind
    Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
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