“I wanna make a paradise.”
mother! is the newest film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. This film, which has been shrouded in mystery, tells the story of a young woman (Jennifer Lawrence) and her husband (Javier Bardem) as they build this paradise of a home. But as the couple lives their happy life, an older couple (Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris) comes to their home, causing the tranquil paradise to be overrun by those who would seek to destroy it. Now because this film is significantly abstract, and because telling you certain details of this film would spoil it, this will be a rather short and vague review.
This film is incredibly original and unpredictable. Which, after the plethora of bloated and predictable films that have come out this year, this film is a breath of fresh air. For anyone who has watched an Aronofsky film, mother! is no different. In fact, this film is probably Aronofsky at his craziest. The subject matter that this film takes on, is a subject which so many people should take seriously.
So Aronofsky tells this story in a format that will fuck with your mind in order to grasp the reality we live in. As for Lawrence, who I’m not a huge fan of, I can admit, she gave it her all. I am absolutely pleased with her performance in this film. There is a scene towards the end and I couldn’t believe how realistic her emotions were. It was jaw-dropping to watch what was going on during this incredibly chaotic scene. The same goes for Bardem’s character. It was hard to formulate an opinion if I liked his character or not. The whole time he’s on screen, I didn’t trust the words coming out of his mouth. Bardem often portrayed his character as sinister and sometimes unstable, and along for the ride was Pfeiffer and Harris.
There was something about their performances throughout this film that I just couldn’t put my finger on. Their acting was eerie and unexplainable. Pfeiffer especially – she plays that sinister type character so well. However, though eerie at times, I left the theater wanting more from this older couple. They played such polarizing characters that were so intriguing; I felt their time on screen could have been utilized in a different way.
Aronofsky, once again, is a force to be reckoned with. He takes a protagonist of a film, and shows their struggle with life and their surrounding environments. He takes a story and turns it upside down. There is understandably some strong hate from audiences, but this is more a fault with the way this film was marketed. See, it’s never a simple movie with Aronofsky, and for those who know what to expect from him, you know that Aronofsky is dead set on screwing with your mind.
mother!
Written and Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer
Rating:
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