Darren Aronofsky, director of mother!, has never been one to shy away from the realm of “What the f***?” in his films. From his debut, Pi, to the biblical tale that is Noah, he fills all of his films with biblical allegory and psychological mind screwing, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Aronofsky’s new film, mother! follows the same themes.
Aronofsky studied film and social anthropology at Harvard and directed at the American Film Institute. He won the award for Best Director and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for his first feature film, Pi.
Aronofsky followed Pi with Requiem for a Dream (find it on Netflix) which stars Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans as four different individuals dealing with different forms of drug addiction. It follows their journey into disillusionment and eventually their metamorphosis into hollow shells of themselves.
Requiem for a Dream was positively received by critics and acclaimed for its portrayal of addiction and the loss of one’s person because of it.
Next came The Fountain which featured Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman as lovers throughout various time periods. Aronofsky followed with The Wrestler and Black Swan (his most critically acclaimed film), both of which center around the narratives of characters that dedicate everything to be the best at their respective professions.
Aronofsky’s most recent film was 2014’s Noah, which was met with controversy due to the way it depicts the biblical story of Noah and the ark, one that we all know so well. Aronofsky included some very strange additions, which I’ll leave to the imagination; They have to be seen to be believed if I’m being honest.
As mentioned previously, his films are definitely not for the weak-willed. Nor are they the kinds of movies you watch when you’re in search of something uplifting. mother! definitely fills this role.
mother!’s plot was kept under wraps for almost it’s entire time in production. We didn’t get a poster or a trailer until early August. Originally scheduled to premiere in October, the film was fast-tracked for early September.
Paramount Pictures didn’t elaborate on their decision, but it may have been related to numerous festivals the film was shown at leading up to its worldwide premiere.
The film’s trailer doesn’t really provide potential audiences with much information either: All we know is that Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem play a couple living in a nice house in the middle of nowhere when suddenly they are visited by another couple played by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfieffer, which brings discomfort to Lawrence’s character.
I was intrigued simply because Bardem never fails to impress me, and the reactions from all the film festivals pointed to a film that was going to be, at the very least, something that would generate a constructive conversation. But boy was I wrong.
In an effort to stay positive, I’ll first talk about the things mother! gets right. A technical marvel, mother!’s sound mixing is very poignant and helps set a claustrophobic mood that is consistent throughout the film.
In a film without a score, this is particularly important since it’s all the audience has when there’s no dialogue, which happens often.
Lawrence is excellent as the titular mother (that’s the only way she’s addressed) and Bardem (playing Him) channels the same energy exhibited in his performances as the villains in Skyfall and No Country For Old Men to play a character that you absolutely hate and have zero sympathy for.
Harris and Pfeiffer, the guests Man and Woman, seem to be having the most fun in the film. This especially applies to Pfeiffer who plays a foil to Lawrence’s more angelic character and revels in it. Her hatred towards Mother is never fully explained or understood but painfully obvious from the moment she is introduced on screen.
The camera spends enormous amounts of time tight to Lawrence’s face, which serves to add to the sense of claustrophobia and provides the audience with insight into her continuous confusion as to what is happening around her. Honestly, that’s pretty much all mother! has going for it.
Now as I’ve mentioned previously, Aronofsky lives for biblical allegories. In this however, he jumps the shark, failing to deliver his message in a covert way until the final 15 minutes, which explains what in the world is happening during not only the final act but also the entire film.
Not only is the plot of the movie incredibly frustrating but the treatment of Lawrence’s character often comes off as misogynistic.
Bardem’s character is incredibly inconsiderate, places the needs of the multitude of guests over his wife’s desires and constantly objectifies her. Particularly, once we are introduced to the outside couple, they serve as a stark contrast to the main characters’ relationship.
Where Mother and Him are reserved and sterile, Man and Woman are hypersexual and fertile.
There’s a scene where Woman and Mother are discussing Mother’s lack of children when Woman says to Mother, “Oh you do love him” in a tone that comes off as pity, implying that Him doesn’t love Mother and that’s why he’s so invested in his work.
As the film continues, the level of absurdity increases and the resolution is incredibly unsatisfying. It leaves you confused and wondering if you just wasted two hours of your life.
I’ve seen some discussion from critics regarding how Bardem represents God and Lawrence is Mother Earth and, consequently, how the way the visitors worship Bardem’s character and hurt Mother and the home she built is a reflection on how humans are damaging the earth.
Sure, it’s a thoughtful and complicated way to make a point, however, the way it’s approached doesn’t capture the audience the way he must have intended. mother!, although heavy handed, features fantastic performances and will leave you confused but hopefully engaged in discussion.
