Eric Smith
Connector Staff
Darren Aronofsky, the unusual filmmaker behind the masterpieces of “Requiem for a Dream” and “Black Swan,” has made his most unusual film yet.
“mother!” may be the most unique and bizarre movie since the works of filmmaking genius Stanley Kubrick. The problem with films like “mother!” is that sometimes it can be so strange to audiences that it becomes unenjoyable for some and the most amazing cinematic experience for others.
Jennifer Lawrence plays Mother and Javier Bardem plays Him. They live together in an old, isolated house where they can start a paradise together and live their dreams. Him is a poet looking to find the right words and the inspiration for them, while Mother enjoys fixing up the house to make it the way they both desire. Things start to get strange when a couple enters their house and invades their space.
These two are played by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer, and they are known to us as Man and Woman. Man is an enormous fan of Him’s poetry and desires his attention as he is sick and will not live much longer. Woman is a sassy woman who likes to stick her nose where it does not belong. Their lives are being invaded and Mother’s life begins to spiral into chaos, leading to unfortunate and horrifying events.
Aronofsky’s directing is genius, and the way he wrote his characters makes the audience wonder what this film is all about. It is not easy to figure out, but it is one of those films that can be analyzed for days.
The entire film is full of bizarre and terrifying imagery that will puzzle the audience, but they should not forget there is a point to the madness. This film does mean something, even though it can be seen as chaotic nonsense. The film’s intensity builds with each act and becomes more distressing and disturbing as it goes.
With Aronofsky’s brilliant direction and Jennifer Lawrence’s stunning performance, the audience can really feel Mother’s stress and anxiety as she experiences the increasingly strange phenomena that abruptly entered her seemingly normal life.
It is difficult to classify this film as horror or not. While it is intimidating and will take something from your soul, it is also a mysterious allegory at the same time. Aronofsky had some clear influences for this film, one of them being Roman Polanski’s psychological horror masterpiece, “Rosemary’s Baby.” The creepy older couple invading their space is a main giveaway, but the ending of the film closely resembles parts of “Rosemary’s Baby,” while not stealing anything from it.
“mother!” is not even close to being a film for everyone. Many people despise it, calling it the worst film they have seen in years. This is understandable due to its confusing and disturbing nature, but it is a film that is worth the risk. When the meaning behind the film is discovered, it is an incredible movie.
Final grade: A
