Esteemed director Darren Aronofsky’s (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream) latest, mother!, is a certifiably polarizing film. It features a cast of beautiful, seat-filling stars (Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem among them), but what transpires on-screen is anything but their regular fare — and this is a movie that probably won’t be filling seats for much longer. In fact, the rare ‘F’ Cinemascore the film received this past weekend is something I’m almost certain Aronofsky was shooting for (how he convinced anyone to fund this I surely will never understand). Despite what the mass audience may think of it, I’m actually here to convince you to see this movie; my hope being that maybe you’ll love and respect it just as I do.
mother! forgoes an easily digestible first act. Instead, Aronofsky slowly hints to the bigger picture he has ingeniously planned, all before the film explodes into a raucous second half and unforgettable finale. Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem play an unnamed couple referred to in the credits simply as “Mother” and “Him,” respectively. Together they live in a beautiful house secluded from the rest of the world. He’s a renowned poet in search of the right inspiration, while she works on crafting and finishing the perfect home.
Bardem’s character is portrayed as being incredibly generous and hospitable, so when Ed Harris (referred to as “Man”) shows up at his door unannounced and with nowhere else to go, he allows him to stay. While Lawrence’s character remains wary about this, Bardem’s assures her that this is the right thing to do. But when Harris is revealed to be a big fan of the famous writer — even going as far as to carry a picture of him within his luggage — this is when things start to get weird. And oh baby, this is only the beginning of it.
Although I’ve only covered the first 20-or-so minutes of the film, that’s really all I’m comfortable with saying regarding specifics of the plot. Otherwise, I would be tip-toeing around details that may or may not give away too much, and the last thing I want to do is risk spoiling anything. What I will say, though, is that when you do understand Aronofsky’s secret — that is, what he’s really conveying with his vision as Bardem’s character allows more and more people to step through the boundaries of her home — that’s when his film really clicks into place and becomes something special.
Contrary to its slow-to-build first act, mother! proceeds in its second half at an unrelenting pace. The camera is fixed on Lawrence the entire film — who is spellbinding in her performance, by the way — and never once strays from her character. Usually, even, the camera is placed on extreme close-ups of her, and follows her every move through the house as if transfixed directly behind her shoulder. This makes for a tense, claustrophobic point-of-view that further disorients an audience that’s already likely lost as to what’s exactly going on. When the film culminates in an awe-inspiring, 30-minute fever dream of a climax that we witness alongside her, mother! is pure chaotic bliss.
I realize this isn’t the best forum to speak about a film so mysterious, so I’m cutting this review to a close here. mother! is meant to be viewed and digested alongside peers and deserves contemplation and discussion. It is a breathtaking, technical marvel of a film that I can decidedly say is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Unfortunately, near its conclusion, Aronofsky dispels the wonder and secrecy of his story’s allegorical meaning with a heavy-handedness that becomes a detriment to the integrity of the filmmaking. Still, mother! is a bold piece of art that’s definitely worth your time. Whether you love it or you hate it upon its conclusion, it’s a film you won’t soon forget.
4.5 stars out of 5
— Michael Lane, Blog Editor
