Grade: B+
Director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan) has crafted a controversial and much-discussed film with mother! – yes, with a lower case M and an exclamation point. It is full of powerful, captivating, disturbing, shocking imagery and performances, led by Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. I went into the movie knowing very little, and I recommend you approach it the same way. I will not even say much about the plot, except that it could be divided into what I’d call Part 1 and Part 2.
In Part 1, we are treated to some DELICIOUS supporting performances from Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer, especially, is electrifying here, as she elevates and injects the movie with its first shot of fun and personality. She has my vote for a Best Supporting Actress nomination in the awards circuit.
Aronofsky makes maximum use of the shaky cam extreme closeup technique that worked so effectively in Black Swan. Lots of claustrophobic intensity here. One thing I will say about Part 2 is the house Lawrence and Bardem live in becomes less and less recognizable to the point where I wondered if the location changed (and even Kristen Wiig shows up!). mother! descends into a grisly, nightmarish rabbit hole that will stick with you whether you know what it all means or are clueless and just along for the ride. I was in the latter category. At the end of the film, I wondered what Part 1 had to do with Part 2. There is a through-line, and there is a definitive meaning. Make no mistake, mother! is full of sound and fury, but it sigifies something. There’s an article in The Telegraph where Lawrence and Aronofsky spell out every last detail. I know now, but it was lost on me then. You should also save that for after you’ve seen mother! – and just let it be what it is for YOU in the moment. Its power is in its mystery.
Grade: B+
Film Reviews by Mark 
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