MOTHER!:
NOT ARONOFSKY’S BEST
WORK BUT IT’S A SICK, TWISTED EXPERIENCE THAT KEEPS YOU GUESSING!
By Nico
Beland
Movie
Review: *** out of 4
PARAMOUNT
PICTURES
Jennifer
Lawrence and Javier Bardem in Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!
After a decently reviewed yet
awkward film adaptation of Noah’s Ark,
director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a
Dream, Black Swan, Noah) returns to his roots with the
psychological horror film, Mother! Going
into this movie I didn’t really have any expectations nor did I know much about
the movie though I was intrigued by its trailers and marketing.
So, I gave it a watch and…wow, where
do I even start with this one? I wouldn’t say this film stands as tall as some
of his other films but nevertheless it was creepy, weird, had a great sense of
atmosphere and mystery, well-acted, and it kept me guessing.
The film follows a married couple
(Jennifer Lawrence-X-Men franchise, The Hunger Games franchise, Silver Linings Playbook and Javier
Bardem-Before Night Falls, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall) living alone together and
peacefully in an old house that they are spiffing up in hopes of creating a
paradise. But when uninvited guests (Ed Harris-The Truman Show, A Beautiful
Mind, A History of Violence and
Michelle Pfeiffer-The Witches of Eastwick,
Batman Returns, Stardust) arrive at their home their relationship is tested as the
strangers disrupt their tranquil existence.
The film also stars Domhnall Gleeson
(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Parts 1 and 2, Ex-Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Brian
Gleeson (Love/Hate, Snow White & the Huntsman, Logan Lucky), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters (2016), Sausage
Party), Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers,
NCIS: Los Angeles, Fences), and Stephen McHattie (Seinfeld, A History of Violence, Watchmen).
Overall, Mother! Is another satisfying yet disturbing addition to Darren
Aronofsky’s filmography however your enjoyment of this movie all depends on
what kind of person you are and/or your taste in movies. It starts off
suspenseful and atmospheric but then it goes into sick, disturbing territory
which almost felt like an artistic Saw
in fact I’m surprised there wasn’t a trailer for Jigsaw shown prior to this film, but I digress.
It goes for a more artistic vision
rather than a straight up scary flick which may turn some viewers off which is
perfectly understandable. This is not a movie for everyone, it does take its
time and slightly passes the 2-hour mark and a lot of scenes, plot elements,
and themes can come off as unsettling and confusing.
Despite the movie feeling like a mixed
bag in terms of appeal the stuff that’s good in this film is phenomenal. The
production design and cinematography are very bleak and are almost reminiscent
of those haunted house movies from like the 70s or 80s, the plot is very
complex and is worthy of multiple viewings to understand its message, and of
course the performances of Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem; specifically,
Lawrence’s because she has most of the screen-time in this film.
I’m convinced Jennifer Lawrence can
be put in a terrible movie (*ahem* Passengers)
and still give it her all and make an impression. This isn’t Mystique or
Katniss Everdeen Jennifer Lawrence, no, this is possible Oscar nominee Jennifer
Lawrence I mean it she’s amazing in this movie, she’s not this tough badass
character but your average woman taking care of her house and husband who is
frightened (and possibly going insane) by these unwanted guests invading her
home.
Javier Bardem also delivers a solid
performance here as Lawrence’s husband but not quite as amazing as Anton from No Country for Old Men. He looks creepy
and threatening but they don’t immediately make him out as the bad guy despite
him being so calm about these visitors and unlike Anton he comes off as more
mysterious than legitimately terrifying.
I don’t think this movie would go
down with Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, or Black Swan as a Darren Aronofsky classic but if you’re interested
in seeing this movie at all and you have some idea of what you’re getting into
then Mother! Would definitely be
worth a watch. It’s well-executed, scary, and throws so many unexpected twists and
turns that will make you say “What?”.
