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.
