Tom at the Farm

In this foreboding drama, precocious 24-year-old writer/director Xavier Dolan (Laurence Anyways) also plays Tom, a shaggy-haired, confused young man who arrives at the Quebec farm owned by the family of his recently deceased male lover. Tom is wary of intruding on the elderly mother's grief, particularly as she remains unaware of her son's sexuality, but events take a sharp turn when Tom is violently threatened by her bruiser of an older son, who's kept up the story that the dead man had a girlfriend in Montreal. It's gnarly, intriguing fare, as secrets emerge on all sides, and Dolan makes effective use of a Hitchcockian score by Gabriel Yared to add the brooding atmosphere of a vintage thriller. Believable, emotionally complex performances help sustain momentum, yet the direction takes a misstep by withholding information to create a greater sense of mystery. The effect is somewhat exasperating - and the film's credibility takes a hit. Dolan's certainly a maverick talent, but this movie's not quite as satisfying as it might have been.