I saw Xavier Dolan‘s Tom at the Farm here in Toronto last week and while I didn’t love it the same why I love his first three films it’s still something interested parties should add to their list of films to look out for.
Based on the play of the same name, the film follows Tom (Dolan), a young ad agency employee who travels to the country for a funeral where he’s surprised to learn the mother of the deceased isn’t aware of him or his relationship with her dead son. The story takes a turn into thriller territory once Tom meets Francis, the deceased’s brother, who clearly knows who Tom is and decides a bit of mental and physical intimidation is in order. This new clip shows just one example.
In my review of the film I was mixed overall, enjoying it purely because Dolan’s films have a certain something that appeals to me, but at the same time it didn’t quite manage to hold my attention for the duration. Here’s a snippet:
I enjoyed seeing Tom at the Farm in the same way anyone enjoys seeing the latest work from one of their favorite directors. At the same time, it’s not his best. While I’m almost certain I’ll feel comfortable watching anything Dolan makes from this point forward in the same way you can throw on most any Alfred Hitchcock film and know you’re in for a film you’ll, at the very least, enjoy, but Tom at the Farm isn’t the first film from Dolan I’d recommend anyone see. Though, for those already initiated, it’s an interesting diversion from his previous two films making it worth the watch at the very least.
You can read my full review here and check out this first clip directly below.
