Mouthpiece

Chlotrudis Award-winner Patricia Rozema is back with an inspired film about the people who speak for us, whether those people are friends and family who say what we feel we cannot? Or different aspects of our internal personalities that speak for us when we need them. To say too much about MOUTHPIECE would take away some of the fun of viewing it, so I will be vague. This film is basically about a young woman whose mother dies suddenly. The young woman is upset because her last interaction with her mother was during a family Christmas party where she criticized her mother for wasting her life. She herself is a professional writer and feminist, while her mother as a promising novelist who gave it up to be a wife and mother.

Based on a play written by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava, who star in the film and also starred in the stage production, MOUTHPIECE truly benefits from having the creators in the lead roles. Their familiarity with the unique concept and execution of of the story makes for a much more compelling result. Rozema handles the adaptation beautifully, opening the story up as the young woman travels around Toronto in preparation for her mother’s funeral. The film is peppered with unexpected and rewarding moments of magical realism that serve to highlight the films themes. The tone and focus of the film is maintained throughout with a satisfying ending that resonated beautifully.

I finished the film with excitement, but found that several days later my interest had diminished. Now, a couple of months later, I’m looking back and remembering MOUTHPIECE quite fondly. I think it’s a well-written, smart, moving film that is definitely worth a look. Like the films director, it blends the head and heart together in a lovely balance. 4.5 cats