Me, Myself and Mum is a remarkable, touching, one-of-a-kind picture. Based on director/writer/star Guillaume Gallienne’s stage show, it’s like a long-winded yet enthralling party anecdote, where the storyteller’s first priority is entertaining his audience with ribald jokes and quirky asides.
This is a riotously funny film, and therein lies much of its appeal. Gallienne plays himself from infancy to adulthood and his own mother, and it’s like a farcical take on Arrested Development’s Buster and Lucille Bluth, except exaggerated to the point where Buster wants to be his mother. This is not a stray comment – the majority of the film centres on Guillaume’s confusion around his own gender identity and sexuality.
Gallienne directs with innovative flair, verve and heart. I was wowed by a spectacular montage beautifully channelling the devastation of unrequited desire. The various digressions are primarily there for entertainment, but they have a deeper thematic meaning upon reflection.
Me, Myself and Mum ends abruptly and – perhaps – too neatly, if you take it on face value. I interpreted it as the point where the storyteller’s story catches up with him. The finality might feel unearned, but that’s just because Gallienne’s story – and life – has a long way to go.
I don’t remember seeing you heap this much praise (or that high a score) on too many movies. On the list this goes, pretty much this instant. 🙂
I’m a big fan! It’s my favourite film I’ve seen this calendar year after Her and The Wolf of Wall Street. It’s so idiosyncratic and personal (and weird) that I don’t expect everyone to like it as much as I did, but I think everyone should at least find it interesting! Hope you like it 🙂
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