Mother!

Mother! (2017)

**** (out of 4)

Usually this is where I put my plot description but it's best that you go into Darren Aronofsky's latest knowing as little as possible. Lets just say that Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are living in a large house all alone when a surprise visit sets them off into madness.

It really shocks me that Paramount would try to push MOTHER! onto the masses. For starters, the majority of moviegoers today do not want to think and they certainly don't want to see a movie where everything isn't explained. In fact, most people need everything explained in the trailer before they'll even go see a movie. A movie like MOTHER! is something that never explains itself and it constantly keeps you guessing from one scene to the next. What's it about? It's really hard to say as every viewer is going to come away with something different. With all of that said, it's easy to see why the film bombed at the box office and why those who did see it gave it a F rating.

what I loved most about this movie is that the setting is just so perfect. You've got a large beautiful house out in the middle of nowhere and it's surrounded by beautiful grass and trees. From the very first scene we can just tell that something isn't quite right and Aronofsky puts us in this beautiful place with confusing surroundings. What makes the film so special is the fact that nothing is ever explained and with each new plot twist your brain just becomes more confused as to what's going on. We know something is happening and we know something bad is going to happen but you're constantly trying to guess what.

Of course, a movie like this wouldn't work without a terrific cast to pull it off. Lawrence turns in another terrific performance and I thought she as fabulous at showing how fractured this character was. We're often questioning her mental state and I thought Lawrence managed to make you feel for the character and go along with her confusion to everything that is happening. Bardem actually steals the show with his fiery performance and I really loved the rage and anger he brought to the film as well as another side that I won't spoil to prevent giving away aspects of the plot. Both Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer were also terrific but, again, I'll hold off commenting more to prevent plot points.

The cinematography is terrific and on a technical level the film is quite flawless. The story is a very interesting one and one that keeps you guessing throughout. The performances just seal the deal. With that said, the film certainly goes downright insane at times and the ending is just one that will have you staggering out of the theater. I must say that I thought the finale went on a bit too long and that it would have worked better had it been edited down a bit. Still, MOTHER! is a film that I really loved and one that I really respected but at the same time I'm not sure who I'd recommend it to.

I have a nagging feeling that the raves come from people in their 20's and/or younger. I maybe wrong but the debate erupting from this movie reeks of youth. Something similar happened with Terrence Malnick's The Tree Of Life. People either loved it or hated it. From my own personal POV the only different between The Tree Of Life and Mother! is that The Tree Of Life was a masterpiece without any visual cope outs and, perhaps, the only commercial concession were in big star names but even then Brad Pitt gives one of the best performances of his career. Mother ! Is not a masterpiece, not to me anyway. I couldn't connect. Was it a comedy of the absurd? When I saw all the people dancing and partying in the house I had a flash back to Blake Edwards's "The Party"Jennifer Lawrence is a truly gifted actress and beautiful to boot and, quite clearly, she put herself in Darren Aronfski's hands, She, the mother, calls out "Baby"? Hoping to find her husband - She is a Saint Joan half burned already. That truly puzzled me. Can you please give us time to connect with her? A few minutes. If you remember Mia Farrow's Rosemary - She was, emotionally, so far away from what she's about to confront. Polanski takes the audience through her journey and we're with her, every step of the way. What makes it so terrifying is the veil of normalcy that surrounds the proceedings. In Mother, the surreal takes over the atmosphere and destroys it. We can keep a distance without really participating. The same can be said of Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer - They are a welcome, semi-camp addition at the perfect time and then, they disappear. The glory of Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer in Rosemary's Baby is that their intrusion is taken all the way through to extraordinary results. And Javier Bardem/John Cassavetes? If you're interested watch Rosemary's Baby again like I did last night, 24 hours after seeing Mother!and then you tell me. In my modest opinion one is a flawless masterpiece the other is just okay.

100

Horrifying. Just.. horrifying. Aronofsky really got me with this one. Not only did he manage to grab me on an intellectual level, but also on an emotional one. This movie is going to be hated by many, I know that now. But for me, this is, hands down, the movie of the year. Every shot, cut, and scream is perfectly constructed to make an immersive atmosphere that never relents in it's uncomfortable feeling, and the acting is seriously award worthy. Javier Bardem is absolutely wonderful, and Jennifer Lawrence... oh man... her performance is absolutely top notch. At first I couldn't quite relate to her character, but as the film progressed, her mindset became my mindset, and we essentially merged into one force of fear and terror that was absolutely unstoppable until the ending. I cannot praise her performance enough in this review. Her emotions leaked from every frame she was in, and it broke my heart and scared me witless the whole way through the film. Aronofsky's pacing is immaculate as well, the whole movie feeling not a second too slow or quick, the events rolling on naturally and in a way that felt very satisfying. The whole way through, I was riveted and invested by the acting and cinematography, which is definitely Aronofsky's best I've seen so far. The entire film is gripping, horrifying, heartbreaking, and absolutely wonderful. Nothing about this movie pulled me out of it. Watching this in a theater was like being in a bomb shelter while the world ended, every sound apocalyptic and every camera shake filling my view. If you can, watch this on the biggest screen you can with the best surround sound you can afford. If you only watch one movie this year, make it this one. This movie is incredible. This is why I study the movies.

WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WATCH?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went to the first matinée available locally and I am still thinking the picture over. Will definitely see this one again, if it hasn't left the theatre abruptly. I was certainly horrified by the film, which is a good thing, as I had assumed it was a horror picture. It is, of course, much more than that. Nonetheless, it is NOT The Conjuring or Get Out (both good films, for sure), so just be warned.

By now you are aware that the film has been controversial, also a good thing. Jennifer Lawrence does a fine job and her career is certainly not going to suffer for her performance. I am not exactly a JLaw "fan" (could live without the Hunger Games), although I will pay closer attention to her future performances, especially if she pulls off more roles like this one (really liked Winter's Bone, by the way). As I understand the Hollywood scene, it is a respectable personal decision to take on a challenging role in an avant garde picture, especially if you have already banked serious money from popular roles in blockbusters. Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris also do their respective parts justice--a well-acted film by A-listers, overall. Camera work and special effects are also impressive.

The story is genuinely disturbing in a Requiem for a Dream way, so don't go if you can't handle that sort of thing. Some of the violence is, indeed, OVER THE TOP. Seriously, not for the faint of heart. Aside from the biblical allegory stuff, I found the character portrayals creepy as hell in a (sur?)realistic David Lynch-esque way. Hell is other people!

I applaud Mr. Aronofsky for keeping his vision intact all the way to the big screen. For reference, I just don't need any more movies based on superheros, comic books (except The Tenth or Gen 13), children's cartoons, vampires fighting werewolves, or horror stick about unfriending weirdos on facebook.

You will have to make up your own mind on this one, so please do just that. Even if you end up despising the film, try to remember that, to quote Rob Zombie, "Art's Not Safe."