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Mother!

For anyone in the know, you'd have to be living somewhere under a rock to be unaware of the release of Director, Darren Aronofsky's, latest offering: 'mother!'. Yes, it's perhaps been one of the most controversial of cinematic releases in recent memory, certainly this year, and viewers and critics alike have been split in their critiques and appraisals of the film. A lot has been said, and questioned, not least of which is why the title is all lowercase, but I'll let you Google that one, yourselves. There is no doubt about it, 'mother!' is a polarising filmic journey of one couple's descent into hell, told through the perspective of the woman; in this case the unnamed lead, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Our lead spends her countless days lovingly restoring and beautifying her beloved's old home, a hexagonal dream house for those that love all things rustic, woody, and vintage. Her other half is played by Javier Bardem. A genius Poet who has been suffering for a long time with a bad case of Writer's Block. We join the two one fine day; the sun is shining peacefully and both are happily enjoying their coziness and their home. This state of quiet bliss does not last when a stranger comes knocking (Ed Harris), and our Poet lets him in. It is soon discovered that this man is a huge fan of our Poet's and has deliberately sought him out in his dying days. It's not long before his unruly wife also shows up unannounced (Michelle Pfeiffer), and the two start to make themselves at home, much to the dismay of our Hostess, who spends most of the first half of the film reeling with anxiety, every time she walks into another room where a mess has been left. Things start to really unravel, however, when our visiting couple's two grown boys barge into the house. Played by the Gleeson boys: Domhnall and Brian (yep, Brendan Gleeson has two talented sons!), the two brothers wreak havoc in the beloved house and Lawrence's character is quickly shellshocked and unsurprisingly scared! The events that unfold after this pivotal point in the film, are nothing short of astounding, as moments increase in their uncomfortably shocking nature. This film is not a horror in the traditional sense of the word, but if you're like me, I can bet you will struggle to sit through some of these scenes without some anxiety and stress. For those that suffer with OCD, 'mother!' will haunt you! There are a plethora of theories with regards to what this film means, or what it's trying to convey in messages and, frankly, any one of these could be accurate. The most obvious of these theories, that I feel seem to fit most aptly, are: 1) the theory that the mother in question is Lawrence's character, who is Mother Earth, herself and our Poet plays the part of God in this allegory. The metaphor is clear: God is the Creator; both parts loving and caring, and yet unyielding and unforgiving. A God that has millions of worshippers- devotees who blindly follow, whilst Mother Earth has created a paradise that is being (literally, in this case), overrun by too many unwelcome guests and her pleas for peace are continuously ignored. Even the ending of 'mother!' could be viewed in a Biblical sense, with Jesus being offered to the masses and then completely devoured (I'm talking about a specific scene which I will not mention further- because that would mean some serious spoilers), in perhaps the most disturbing and heartbreaking scene of any film I have seen in recent memory! There is an element of this which could very clearly be an argument for the Environmentalists out there, and 2) is obviously illustrating how us humans ravage, pillage, disregard and destroy our Mother Earth, until she herself wants to finish us all (in the very real form of hurricanes, tsunamis, fires, floods, and the like). The people that swarm the house, literally highlight the issue of over-population on the planet and how we take and take until there is nothing left anymore. The final theory I feel is relevant is 3) The idea of a narcissistic artist and his muse. The artist that constantly craves attention and fans and is addicted to the praise of others. He uses his muse until her resources are depleted and becomes all-consumed by the worship that his fans offer him, allowing them to share what's his. The 'worshippers' (or visitors) in this case, literally follow crowd mentalities: from silent reverence to riot, peaceful sit-ins to looting, and all the extreme shades of human devotion, frenzy and fanaticism, are made apparent here. On a simpler note, I loved all of the cast in this piece, particularly Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Pfeiffer who completely stood out. Lawrence's character goes through metaphorical and practically literal hell, in 'mother!', and yet every expression is believable, every feeling relatable and every emotion nuanced. This is perhaps one of Lawrence's best works, in my opinion and that says a lot, considering we are constantly distracted by the events taking place around her and wondering what's happening next (though the narrative unfolds from her perspective). Pfeiffer is brilliant as the metaphorical temptress, Eve, to Ed Harris' metaphorical Adam, and the simmering tension between the two women is superb. I'd also like to remind people to look out for Kristen Wiig who plays Bardem's Publicist, and does a fantastic job in her role. Bardem, himself, is perhaps the least likeable character- but that is not because of his portrayal, but more because, the longer the film goes on, the more we empathise with Lawrence's portrayal of 'mother', and silently pray he would just, for one second, stop being so selfish! 'mother!' is a work of art, in the most sincere meaning of the word. Aronofsky has created a film, much like his others (most notably: 'Black Swan', and 'Requiem for a Dream'), that can be read and interpreted in any number of ways. The acclaimed Director is known for producing work that is surreal, psychological and thought-provoking, and his latest does not disappoint, in that realm. Fans of his previous works will most likely enjoy this film, whilst those that seek to find cinema that is far more straightforward will wish they hadn't wasted their time. 'mother!' most definitely is not for everyone, and only those that are keen on art house cinema (and those with the digestion of an Ox), should endeavour to watch this. I, personally, loved 'mother!'. Equal parts beautiful and unbearable, paradise and hell, for me, the film really is about the world we live in, our role on the planet, and how we continuously take without regard for those around us, or our Mother Earth. I found the film incredibly powerful in it's visual symbolism, metaphorical meaning and thought-provoking allegory. It's hard to ignore 'mother!', whether you like it or not, and that's often the mark of real art: something that gets us thinking and talking, critiquing and questioning. You will either love or loathe this film, and that's much like Aronofsky's repertoire, and actually, much like God's creations, too! 4/5

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