Film Review: ‘Mother!’ plays with the mind, never mind the box office

Before watching Mother, I had read multiple review of the film. Each of these reviews described the film differently, so despite all the reading I went in not knowing what to expect. The fact is, that Mother is a complex, layered tale that takes the viewer into mythology about human origin, the state of the earth as we constantly exploit it, the challenges of immigration and the ultimate promise of regeneration. 

On its surface, Mother starts as a film about a couple living in a secluded mansion in the middle of nowhere. The much older writer husband, played by Javier Bardem, is struggling with a block, while the wife, played by Jennifer Lawrence, spends her days pouring love into re-doing the entire house. The couple’s relationship is somewhat strained as the husband finds himself unable to connect with himself or his wife, while the wife is too young or too timid to say anything. The story finds its groove when a passerby loses his way, and the husband invites him to stay over at their place. Soon, a wife appears, followed by their two sons, altering the couple’s life forever and ultimately ending in near complete destruction. 

At one level, the story of the two leads, is one of Adam and Eve before the apple was bitten, and what happens when temptation, takes root in their life. At another level, it is the story of the creator and the nourisher. While the creator or God, is responsible for bringing the Earth and life into being, it is the ability of the planet to nourish itself that carries it forward. At yet another level, the film is political, in that it raises the issue of migration across countries into focus, where there are no clear rights and wrongs.

The film was playing on my mind for days after I watched it, since it has so many aspects to it that can only be understood on deeper reflection. To that extent, it is a unique experience. The film is not very powerful to watch otherwise, though. It feels bizarre and even slow in the first half. But the takeaways from the film are interesting enough to put up with it, never mind the fact that it is a box office dud.

The parts I did find particularly problematic about the film were the characters, which really had precious little to show for their talent. Jennifer Lawrence’s character has to look appropriately unhappy to aggrieved but the entire experience does not call upon her very well proven abilities.  Also, the fact that her character is conceived as passive, as opposed to the active force that is Bardem’s character, is a patriarchal construct that we can really free ourselves from. Though, to be fair, the creator is not shown in the best light. Ultimately, Aronofsky, the director who doesn’t need an introduction, projects him as a narcissist who ultimately makes everything about himself. Only, that is not enough.