The complexities of a young woman as portrayed by a pair of actors sets up Mouthpiece. Cassandra ignores the noises of multiple texts on her phone after a night of drinking. She discovers the next morning that her mother has passed away from a stroke.
Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava star as Cassandra. The actors first told this story in a play that they wrote and starred. Acclaimed director Patricia Rozema directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Nostbakken and Sadava.
They are given tasks to do for her mother's funeral from floral arrangements to buying food. They also cope with the inner conflict of being a writer, something her mother could have been but chose to concentrate on taking care of Cassandra and her younger brother Danny.
Nostbakken and Sadava are very physical in their performance, sometimes in tandem. The tandem elements are well synchronized; the fun comes in their differences. A guy crudely hits on her. One responds with a obscene word; the other says "Thanks."
We are treated to flashbacks with a younger, singular version of Cassandra. This showcases the nuances between girls and women. You get a sense, good and bad, about the devotion of motherhood and the impact on a daughter.
Maev Beaty brings a lot of warmth to mother Elaine, the kind of mother that Cassie's friends flock to their presence and is always there for her children. Jess Salgueiro plays Roxanne, Cassandra's friend. Salgueiro was a 2018 TIFF Rising Star in anticipation of Mouthpiece.
The film is full of subtle details of Cassie remembering her mother: tidbits such as never seeing her mother eat a French fry or a croissant, her mother saying to Cassie "always use your voice." There is a brief tribute to feminist authors and rom-com films. Toronto is shown off ranging from Eaton Centre to riding on streetcars.
The rest of the family makes more cameo appearances: Ari Cohen as Cassie's father and Paula Boudreau as her aunt.
Mouthpiece is a powerful, sweet story about a mother-daughter relationship told in a modern, complex fashion.
Canadian film review: Into the Forest
Canadian film review: When Night Is Falling
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Mouthpiece was named to the TIFF Top 10 Canadian films of 2018. The film is available on-demand through cable.
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
photo credit: Mouthpiece film
Comments