![]() And to you, my friends, drink up!īrian Burmeisterteaches communication at Iowa State University. So, if psychological terror and unconventional storytelling are your cup of tea, you’re in luck. More than quality-and I vehemently defend the film’s acting, directing, writing-acceptance of this film will come down to personal preference. Mother! is a brilliant but challenging film. It will make you work, hard, to make meaning of the visual metaphors and countless allusions. It will make you feel things you might not want to feel. If you saw his commercially most successful film, Black Swan, and thought to yourself, that was weird-but not in a good way-you will more than likely hate this film. Aronofsky’s prior films, particularly The Fountain, offer insight into the risks he is willing to take in his storytelling. The best caution I can offer: know what you’re walking into. But for those who enjoy stories told as puzzles which you need to piece together yourself, there is much fun to be had in making sense of it all. The film explores ideas concerning the environment, idol worship, patriarchy, and the nature of creation and destruction. In classic Aronofsky fashion, symbols, metaphors, and allusions abound. And the frequently disorienting close-ups on Mother as she moves throughout the house amplify what is already uncomfortable to watch. Simply put: she is often as powerless over her own story as are those watching the film. He forces us to experience life in her shoes. To that end, the film’s writer/director, Darren Aronofsky, masterfully keeps the camera close to Lawrence’s Mother throughout. Not since 2002’s Dirty Pretty Things have I felt such visceral discomfort watching the complete powerlessness of a character. The way she is talked to, discounted, even despised by other characters is rough to watch. The frequent physical separation we see reinforces how little control she has over anything happening in her life. Much of the action and dialogue occur off screen, with Mother elsewhere in the house-in the next room, down the hall, upstairs-the events of the film unfolding without her input. The things she says and does have no authority, receive no respect, and are ignored. So, too, is everyone she interacts with throughout the film. Her husband, a famous poet, is dismissive of her desires and feelings. The spectacle that ensues will either be devoured as brilliance or denied as insanity, but no one will say it is boring.Īt its core, Mother! is the story of woman who is a passenger in her own life. Over the course of its final half hour, Mother! will mesmerize, if not madden. And escalates into one of the most memorable final acts in film history. The uncertainty and terror she feels escalates. And as one character after another after another are introduced into the film and into their home, Mother’s lack of control over the situation becomes more and more apparent. Soon, another surprise visitor, devilishly portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, appears on their doorstep. Why is he there? What does he want? The mystery unfolds as tensions rise and a rift appears between Mother and her husband. Shortly after finding her husband (the always terrific Javier Bardem), Mother and Him (we never learn their names) are joined by an unexpected guest played by Ed Harris. This house, which we learn literally has a heart of its own, serves as the sole setting for the entire film. ![]() As she searches, we are introduced to their home, a Victorian mansion-massive, beautiful, but in various states of disrepair-which is a character in and of itself. Mother, wonderfully played by Lawrence, awakens in bed alone, calling for her husband. The film starts with a slow-burn of mystery. But what makes Mother! truly special: either way, you’ll feel the need to talk about it.Īt face value, Mother! tells an unconventional home invasion story. The Jennifer Lawrence starring film has been labeled “divisive,” which puts it lightly. But Mother! most certainly accomplishes that. Rarely does a film come along that polarizes audiences immediately and intensely.
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