mother! Review: Watch It If You Dare
A film that is marvelous from a technical perspective (and no others) mother! is an extremely egotistical multi-leveled allegory told with all the passion and narrative skill of an eighth grader. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (of the similarly well-crafted, but problematic Black Swan), and starring Jennifer Lawrence (who happens to be dating Aronofsky, which I only mention because this is actually important to the message of the film), the story follows a married man and woman, who remain nameless throughout the film, living in a house isolated from most of society, and the struggles they face when unwanted guests arrive.
Now I should say, if you do plan on watching mother!, I would recommend knowing as little as possible going in because this is the way Aronofsky claims it’s meant to be viewed. Personally though, I’d prefer it not be viewed at all, so continue reading if you’d like some kind of a warning.
Within the two hour runtime, Aronofsky crams in allegories about everything from the Bible to his own personal life. The character, played by Javier Bardem, serves as a stand-in for both God and Aronofsky, while Lawrence’s character serves as an allegory for Earth (It’s some kind of environmental message and no, it doesn’t make sense to me either) and, as if this wasn’t convoluted enough, Jennifer Lawrence.
The story is mainly from the perspective of Lawrence’s character as she loses all control of her house, body, and life. Losing track of his biblical allegories in the chaotic third act of the movie, Aronofsky makes the same mistake he made with Black Swan: in trying to empathize with his main character, a woman, he forgets the crucial fact that he is not one. His stories are not honest or multifaceted depictions; they are cruel appropriations. The experiences and stories of women are not his, and his misunderstanding of this fact leads to a portrayal that is cold and unfeeling at the best of times, while cruel and somewhat sadistic at others. He seems all too comfortable degrading and tormenting his main character in a film he recently admitted was made mainly to shock and disgust audiences.
Overall, Aronofsky has not changed anyone’s opinions on global warming, religion, or himself. What he has done is made something that, while nice to look at, left me with a pretty bad taste in my mouth, and I’m willing to wager it will do the same for most viewers.
