Mother, Couch

Surreal yet drab drama "Mother Couch" is another pretentious art-house bore that tries so hard to be clever with its analogies & hidden meanings that it ends up as incomprehensible tosh... wasting in this case a fine & under-rated cast. When bitter old Ellen Burstyn refuses to leave a run-down warehouse-like furniture store run by Taylor Russell (terrific) & F Murray Abraham, her kids Ewan MacGregor (with wife Lake Bell), Rhys Ifans & Lara Flynn Boyle get involved... resulting in old (and new!) wounds opening. This debut of writer (adapting Jirker Virdborg's novel 'Mamma I Soffa') / director Niclas Larsson won't have many hungering to see what he serves up next. Hard pass.

I think this film deserves a review even though I'm still processing some of the scenes.

This is not an easy story to describe. So I understand some negative reviews that may be posted.

Much of the investment is with McGregor's character and his relationship with his mother. This unfolds initially as a straight-forward affair of a son whose mom refuses to leave a furniture store (staking her claim on a specific couch in the store).

As the story progresses, you begin to realize not everything is as it seems. Once you realize this, the film takes on a different light and the focus on McGregor's character becomes a bit more justified.

Still, I think the brother and sister deserved a little more substance of character than what was provided. Kudos to Lara Flynn Boyle for making the most out of something less.

I must say at the outset that I wanted to like this film, because symbolic, metaphorical, low-budget, chamber-drama-like works are very close to my heart. Unfortunately, Niclas Larsson (who is responsible for such great works as... well, yeah) hasn't the faintest idea how to direct a film or write a script, because the end result is so fake, incoherent, wannabe-deep, boring and so frustratingly roundabout that anything the film was trying to say (not that there haven't been a million films made about grief work and letting go...) is completely meaningless because it just babbles, stammers, and then urinates under itself.

I have no idea how Larsson was able to blackmail these stars into appearing in this botched film experiment, perhaps kidnapping their child or poisoning them with the venom of a rare species of South American snake for which only he has an antidote. In any case, it is certain that "Mother, Couch" will not ennoble anyone's CV. But one thing must be acknowledged: it's a perfect film for snobs, who are ready to project everything and its opposite into the infertile, barren nothingness at any time, if it makes them feel that they are more than the average cinema-goer, despite their mediocre intellect and awful taste.

"Mother Couch" (2024), directed by Niclas Larsson, is an ambitious and daring exploration of the abstract, fusing dark drama and comedy in a way that defies traditional storytelling.

What stands out most in "Mother Couch" is its bold attempt to blend art with narrative. Larsson's vision feels more like a visual art installation than a conventional film, designed for viewers who have an appreciation for the slow, dark, and often bizarre corners of cinema. The film's pacing is deliberate, with long, introspective scenes that some might find tiresome, but those with a passion for art-house films will likely find it thought-provoking. This is a movie that requires patience and an openness to unconventional forms of storytelling.

At its core, "Mother Couch" seems to be about the art of healing, showing how unresolved family dynamics can manifest in strange ways. The characters, though emotionally distant at times, ultimately search for closure, making this film a contemplative piece on the complexities of human relationships.

While it may not cater to mainstream tastes, "Mother Couch" is a unique entry for cinephiles who seek something different, especially those interested in the fusion of art and film. It's an experimental journey that, while imperfect, deserves credit for its originality and daring approach to dark comedy.

Ewan McGregor's mother Ellen Burstyn visits a furniture store and doesn't want to leave. Ever.

That's the basic plot of "Mother, Couch", a small and very odd film with an all-star cast.

Is the film supposed to be taken at face value or is it an allegory? Is Ellen Burstyn's titular mother in God's Waiting Room, or simply a lady who doesn't want to get off the couch?

I will say that the film sits a little better now having slept on it than it did when I was actually watching it. It clocked in at only 1hr 36 min but felt way longer. There are no big moments or cinematic fireworks but rather a sober and somewhat off-beat exploration of the human condition.

McGregor plays David, a harried and anxiety-prone family man whose unhappy life gets weirder when his elderly mother sits down on a couch at Oakbeds Furniture store and decides that she's not going anywhere, come hell or high water. (We get a little bit of both).

David's two adult siblings are of little use during this family crisis. There's the forgetful slacker Gruffeld (Rhys Ifans) and the bitter and put-upon Linda (Lara Flynn Boyle). The film exposes their toxic relationship as they try to bring their mother home. Or as Linda suggests, should they just leave her there?

The store is about to close, but an employee has at least a temporary solution: there's a bed near the couch and David can stay the night. Taylor Russell plays the pretty employee Bella and is a ray of sunshine in this dark film. There's a hint that there might be a sexual spark between she and David, but he should be so lucky.

Burstyn at 91 is one tough-as-nails broad in the central role playing a less less than sympathetic character. She's a mean mother but we can see where she's coming from.

The film was inspired, at least in part, by a Swedish novel called 'Mamma i soffa'. The film's writer and director Niclas Larsson making his first full-length feature said at a screening I attended that he read the first 10 pages of the book when he paused and wrote his own script. It's allowed, he said, as this is art. True; just don't look for an accurate page-to-screen adaptation.

Larsson did assemble an absolutely stellar cast with F. Murray Abraham and Lake Bell in supporting roles.