Mother!

There are plenty of talented young actors, who continue to make amazing performances, no matter what genres they choose. Every film may not be good, but if the performance is good, you still want to watch. A selection of young actors, clearly have a passion about making quality films. I am especially thinking about one actor, who perhaps is known mostly from her character Katniss Everdeen, in the film series of The Hunger Games. I am of course talking about actor Jennifer Lawrence. This is a woman who knows how to act amazingly good. Just think about her performances in films such as Winter´s Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, Joy or how about American Hustle ? Of course she have also delivered in several other films, but she is clearly dedicated to delivering quality acting. I love the fact that she tries to go out of the comfort zone, just to challenge herself more. This gives her an opportunity to discover interesting stories, that may capture the audiences attention. Earlier this year i saw Jennifer Lawrence in the sci fi drama The Passengers. It was an interesting film, with a different take on science fiction. It was very clear that Jennifer was the most powerful character of this film, and without her, the film would probably not have worked. I will say that actors Chris Pratt and Michael Shannon both did a good job, even though they could not reach the same acting level as Jennifer. As i was reading about the 74th Venice Film Festival, i noticed that director Darren Aronofsky´s new film Mother! would be shown at the festival, with Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role. Since i am a big fan of director Darren Aronofsky´s films in the past, of course i was very curious to see what this film could be. The trailer for the film Mother! released in theatres, did not reveal anything. So it was a very smart move to do this, to make sure the audience will be more interested in seeing the film. With a very talented director, and a very good cast included, is Mother! one of the most powerful films of this year, or is this a film so bad you want to forget about it ?

Mother ( Jennifer Lawrence ) wakes up in a bed. She looks around for her husband Him ( Javier Bardem ), a writer who is working on his latest book. Mother is painting the walls off the house, as she have some strange sightings, where a heart is beating inside the wall. One day, Doctor ( Ed Harris ) knocks on the door, as Him let the Doctor in. Mother have no idea why her husband let a stranger in, but he clearly is not feeling well. Next day they get another visit from the doctor´s wife, Woman ( Michelle Pfeiffer ). Him let her stay in their house as well, as guests. Mother does not like this at all, and she can´t understand why these strangers are welcome to live there. More people begin to show up, and Mother is very upset. Why is so many people coming to their home, and why won´t they leave ?

Before i watched Mother!, i have heard very mixed reviews and opinions about this film. When you hear so many different opinions, it clearly shows that this is not a film for everyone. And this of course made me even more curious to see Mother! I can tell you this, if you don´t enjoy films that are odd, then Mother! is perhaps not your cup of tea. This is a film, that move in different directions, with some very unexpected turns. I would also say that this is a film you will probably hate, or love it. I found myself enjoying this film, and i will try to explain later. I would say that Mother! have influences from Roman Polanski´s classic film Rosemary´s Baby, without looking anything like that film. Since the film moves around different characters, you have to have patience to understand what the film is trying to say. There are religious messages throughout the film, without disrespecting religious people. I think the film does manage to tell a story, that looks very different from the ordinary Hollywood release. This is a very disturbing look, in human behavior, and how evil can affect us. This is also a film that tries to dig into relationships and personal issues. The first half of Mother! is where we are introduced to most of the characters of the film, and this is where things get interesting. The second half changes path completely, and i find myself wondering if this was a good idea. Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role is the strength of the film, her character is the most interesting personality, and you can understand why she is very confused. Actor Javier Bardem is not as strong on an acting level, not if you compare to his other films. I do enjoy seeing legendary actors Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris here, as the odd married couple. Director Darren Aronofsky is very well known for his unique, and very intelligent films Requiem Of A Dream and Black Swan. He also did the very powerful drama film The Wrestler, where actor Mickey Rourke did the best acting performance of his career ( so far ). I do think director Darren Aronofsky have some interesting ideas with his film Mother!, and he does make a strong impact, at least until the second half begins, then the film start to loose control for a while. Mother! is a unique film, and there are something fascinating about the story surrounding the film. But it all becomes too odd, and perhaps too complicated, for me to really appreciate this film. With that said, i will say that i still enjoy Mother! for being a unique and artistic film. This is not of the films that director Darren Aronofsky will be remembered for, but i do think Mother! leaves an impact. I seriously doubt you will see anything like this, before the year ends. 

Rating: DDD