By: uihhhhhhhhhhhi

uihhhhhhhhhhhi — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:59:14 +0000

I watch all new movies

By: djv124

djv124 — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 06:51:17 +0000

Uh, no. Not at all.
I’ve been a huge fan of Aronofsky since first watching Requiem For a Dream (Didn’t care too much fo Pi) and honestly, he’s been my favorite director ever since. I literally couldn’t wait to see Mother! and in fact went to a Thursday night showing of it at my local theater. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was, for many reasons, none of which you seemed to notice or touch upon.
For starters, Jennifer Lawrence. She’s completely miscast in this film. I know you might think it was bold and daring for Darren to use a female actress who in virtually every movie role she’s ever had been this strong protagonist to suddenly play a doormat, but this role needed more… nuance to the shock of what was happening. Nothing against JLaw, but she would’ve been dead last on my list of actresses to play this role. Why not get a girl who has a very, very good emotional face? Somebody who can tell a story with a twitch of her lips? There are many actresses out there that can do that, and sadly, JLAW is NOT one of them. This film had so much close up reaction shots… you needed a much stronger face for this movie to work.
Second, the actual filming of this movie. Sorry, but 16MM and iphones do not make great films. They scream pretentiousness, and most of all, it was just too distracting. I hate films that use this kind of approach to their camera work. It’s okay for some shots in a movie but nearly the entire run time? By the hour and forty minute mark, I wanted to throw up (and not from the gross as all heck sequence at the end with the baby. That’s all I’m going to say about that).
The third and biggest problem with this film is that it never made its point clear. It didn’t even try. I suppose you could say the point was really clear, that Javier is God and the house and JLAW are the planet or whatever, that Michelle and her Ed Harris are Adam and Eve, their children Cain and Abel, and that as the world got more and more populated, God became more and more in love with the idea of all these people on earth loving him, no matter the consequences, but then… why have a Swat team in it, or people with hoods over their heads getting executed, or the million other graphic images that were supposed to equal to what? This idea of devotion causing death and abject misery because we choose to be devoted to God? Or something like that? Or… huh?
I’m not even scratching the surface here with allegories. You could also say the movie dealt with motherhood as a whole, or as the experience between how an artist needs unrequited love to be an artist and be inspired, no matter the costs. And so on. I mean, take your pick… I counted no less than five huge allegories you could pull from this film. And hopefully you see the huge problem there.
I am all for a movie being abstract and not necessarily spelling things out for you neatly. Letting you as a viewer come to your own conclusions. But at the same time, this movie felt too much like a faery tale for adults, complete with graphic horror that happens, in order to teach us a lesson. BUT WHAT LESSON WERE WE SUPPOSED TO TAKE FROM IT? I mean, requiem for a dream and Black Swan… both films had a point to their madness and horror. Requiem’s catalyst for the bonkers ending it had was drugs. Black Swan was a ballerina’s obsession to be perfect led her to die in a state of absolute perfection. But this movie… it would’ve been amazing if that WTF ending wasn’t so… WTF, you know? Like I was given SOME clue about why I sat there and endured it all.
Like I said, I love Darren, always have, and I still will go see his films, but this is one that we all can pass on and forget about. The sooner the better, because it truly was a waste of his genius and talent. Why make a film that nobody will ever understand? Unless, of course, you don’t care about your audience, only about indulging yourself, in which case don’t ask me to pay nearly 30 dollars for me and my date’s tickets to see the film. Just saying. OVERALL GRADE: C-.

By: Saul

Saul — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 19:02:13 +0000

Sweet review! Since the first trailer, I’ve been looking forward to this. Cinema needs more mind trip Aronofsky films!

By: drastc

drastc — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 17:10:35 +0000

Weird movie. Def creepy, lots of disturbing imagery. Reviewer is the exception, most people will not like what they see.

By: Funky John

Funky John — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 16:42:54 +0000

I don’t watch Darren Aronofsky movies. They confuse me more than entertain me.

By: often with clothes on

often with clothes on — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 16:23:49 +0000