mother!

mother!

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

The Story:
A married couple (Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem) live in a secluded house, where she works diligently to make the house beautiful.  One day a stranger (Ed Harris) ends up on their doorstep, and the husband welcomes him to stay, to the wife's dismay.  The man is soon followed by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), and soon everything spirals out of control.

The Synopsis:
There was one thing I expected when I went to see "mother!," and that was to have my mind blown.  Darren Aronofsky is one of the most prolific, intellectual, multi-layered directors of our time, producing great works such as "Black Swan," "Pi," and "Requiem for a Dream."  Not only was my mind blown, but I spent most of the second half of the film sitting in open-mouthed shock, totally unnerved by what I was witnessing on screen, and not in a bad way. 

With any Aronofsky film, the story is much deeper than the surface, and will easily require a couple viewings to completely understand what he was trying to portray on screen.  Some will say that's due to a terrible directing job, but to me it's a sign of a masterclass in directing, someone who doesn't spoon-feed the entire plot to the audience, but forces them to think and envelop what they're seeing on screen.  It's simply an unnerving trek through total hell, one that has stuck with me since I saw it, and one I will probably not easily forget.

I would love to talk about the deeper aspects of the film, but in doing so I would be giving spoilers away, so I won't do that.  What I will do is let you know this is absolutely a film you must see (unless you're extremely squeamish or sensitive, there's some heavy-duty moments in the film that's not for the faint of heart).  I will also tell you to not look into anything about the film, because it will also inadvertently give away certain plot points.  Just go in with a clear mind, and when you leave you'll have to scrape the pieces of your mind that got blown out all over the auditorium.

If this film doesn't receive the following Oscar nominations - Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay - I will lose a lot of faith in the Academy.  This is the epitome of a one-of-a-kind spectacle, a film that - even though I expected for my mind to be blown - far exceeded even my high expectations.  It's insane, it's crazy, it goes from 0-1,000,000 so fast your head will spin.  It's a visual wonder, a highly disturbing tale, delivered with care by one of the most talented directors out there, with a cast that's beyond amazing.

Jennifer Lawrence deserves another Oscar for her portrayal as the wife, a long-suffering woman who seems confined to the house, and works diligently to keep it clean and pristine, despite her husband's seemingly uncaring attitude.  Javier Bardem is a struggling writer, who seems to welcome strangers at the drop of a hat because he wants to spread the love.  Ed Harris is the mysterious man, who appears out of nowhere and has a lot of issues.  Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show as the wife, who's biting, intrusive, and downright cruel.  The film also stars real-life brothers Brian and Domhall Gleeson, and comedienne Kristen Wiig in a role that's definitely not one she's used to.

The Summary:
Summertime is indeed over, and its time for the prestige films to take the limelight.  "mother!" starts the race for awards season off with a bang, delivering a one-of-a-kind visual masterpiece that needs to be seen to believed and fully appreciated - as long as you can stomach the content.

The Score: A+