mother!

Year: 2017
Rated R
Genre:
Language: English
​Runtime: 2:01:00
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Main Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Kristen Wiig, Brian Gleeson

Notable Mentions: Darren Aronofsky's Screenplay and Direction

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mother! got some serious haters. The New York Observer called the film the worst of the decade. That's a little harsh.

My first impression of mother! was: if I were to make a film, this is the kind of film I would make. I thought the film was brilliant.

I can't think of another film like mother!. It's one of a kind. I had a hard time placing the film in a genre. It's got many horror/ thriller elements. But I wouldn't call it a horror or a thriller film.

The entire film is a metaphor. That's its brilliance. It's poetry. Jennifer Lawrence plays the wife. She represents Mother Earth. Javier Bardem plays the husband. He represents God. The house the wife and the husband live in represents Earth. The wife built the house. Mother Earth birthed Earth. God is a fool. He's foolishly kind and loving. God invited humans into their home. The entitled and ungrateful humans took advantage of God's hospitality. They destroyed Mother Earth and God's home.

The film got increasingly crazier. By the end of the film, the house was a war zone.

One of the negative reviews I read called mother! a nimbus of nonsense. A metaphor that no one gets. Speak for yourself. I thought the metaphor was crystal clear. Humans trashed the house like how we're destroying Earth. We love God. So we say. We have no respect for Mother Earth. We cut down forests, poison the water and pollute the air. We go to war and and we kill each other. We take. We take. And we take. We leave the once pristine Earth on fire. And we assume no responsibility for its destruction. What's not to get? mother! is a mirror. We are the unwanted guests in the film. Darren Aronofsky is calling us out on the big screen. And I think someone is lashing out, because s/he didn't like the reflection.

mother! is a masterpiece in an unconventional way. It's a very complete film. Though not very rewatch-able. I would not watch this film multiple times.

Jan. 29, 25.