Mother!

In what can only be described as an existential, mind-blowing opus, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “Requiem for a Dream”) gives us what might be one of the most ambitious cinematic allegories of the year. Polarizing by critical standards, and unapologetically true to his own vision, “Mother!” is likely to be misinterpreted by many, misunderstood by even more, and mislabeled in the annals of history as an epic failure. I beg to differ.

Before I explain my thinking, let me reduce the plot to a tangible (albeit incomplete) form; Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) awakes in her large Victorian house, situated in an undisclosed, but picturesque setting. Her husband, Him (Javier Bardem) is a successful writer, and together they are rebuilding their home after a devastating fire took nearly everything from them. Attention to every detail has been painstakingly made by Mother, as she bides her time homemaking while he struggles to overcome writer’s block. When Man (Ed Harris) and Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) show up unexpectedly, they trigger a series of events that leads the narrative down the rabbit hole of frustrating, preposterous, and confusing, but ultimately to a spiritually enlightening and rewarding climax.

There is something unsettling about the relationship between Mother and Him from the very start, and the house itself takes on a personification that is eerily suffocating despite the vast open space it consumes. The house is where the success of this film truly begins to gain traction. Every single frame in the film follows Mother, and occurs inside the house. It’s claustrophobic without even trying.

Some might get frustrated with the confusion, even as it plays out to its finale, but I very much admire the vision by Aronofsky. Without giving away too much in spoilage, there is a certain tangible resonance even while the viewer is in the dark. There’s just enough shown on-screen to grasp large themes such as humanity, good and evil, spirituality, anxiety, control, and the circle of life. The extent of metaphor is certainly laid on thick, but it is absolutely necessary to accomplish what the director intended.

One has to resist the urge to give up on the film simply because it doesn’t make sense, because although that is certainly the case, the viewing experience is much more valuable than the subscription to typical cinematic rules or norms. Bear with the nonsense, because it will make sense hours, days, or perhaps even weeks later when you are trying to figure things out. “Mother!” is a cerebral thriller, and I respect the attempt at something so non-conformist and mind-bending. There aren’t enough film makers brazen enough to attempt such abstract polarizing fare; Chris Nolan recently (and successfully), and my personal favorite, Stanley Kubrick historically.

My initial reaction as the credits rolled was confusion and anger, so the film was an absolute success. My anger evolved into a sort of respect the longer I pondered the details that created what will go down in film lore as something unique, if not a disaster. The reviews have not been kind as a whole, and there is an argument that Jennifer Lawrence, whose role as muse may be lost in the scandalous relationship formed with Aronofsky, is wasted on such questionable content, but I disagree. All of the actors involved did a fantastic job, and the film itself, as wild as it was, left an imprint on my mind.

I have a difficult time recommending this film to any particular group, as it will likely be misunderstood or underappreciated. I don’t intend to ever see it again, but I will say with confidence that I’m glad I saw it; I’m a better film critic for it. And after all, isn’t that what the movies are all about? 7/10.