mother!
2.5/4
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris
Rated R Strong Disturbing Violent Content, Some Sexuality, Nudity and Language
You know, I've seen more than a few thousand movies in my time. On this site alone, the number stands at 1,505 reviews (including this one). Plus 361 on iMDb (there is some overlap). That's 1,866 movies. And that's just after I started reviewing.
The reason I list my credentials is not out of narcissism. It's because of all these movies, I don't recall any that left me so dumbfounded. It's not that it's shocking or a mindfuck, although it is both of those things. It's that it's so bizarre and surreal that it left me unsure of how to react. Hell, I didn't know what it actually was!
Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence play a loving couple living in the middle of the wilderness in a home that she is remodeling while he writes. Their careful idyll is rocked when a man played by Ed Harris shows up at their door under the mistaken belief that it's a bed & breakfast. Bardem invites him to stay the night without Lawrence's consent, and is oblivious to her discontent. The next morning, his wife Michelle Pfeiffer shows up. Soon after that, Bardem invites them to "stay as long as they life." Such an offer would, under the circumstances, unnerve anyone. Least of all because Pfeiffer starts asking Lawrence some personal and inappropriate questions. That's when things get really strange.
How strange do they get? Let's start by going into what material this movie contains. During this movie, you will see such things as: a family feud, a funeral with unexpected guests, a riot, a war battle, a dance club in the dining room, child sacrifices, cannibalism, and writer's block. These aren't necessarily spoilers, however. It's not that kind of movie.
Perhaps Darren Aronofsky was trying to create a deliberately ambiguous movie like "The War Zone" (a movie that bears no similarity to this one). I remember reading a short story about woman and a bear that was written in such a way. The possible allusions that this film refers to are endless. The paparazzi, our current occupant in the White House (I will not defame the title by referring to him by name), writer's block, pregnancy. The list goes on. I think Aronofsky has something in mind, but he fails to convey it.
I applaud the valiant efforts of the cast for their talents. And their guts. With such a script like this, many less courageous actors would have run the other way. But Bardem, Lawrence, Harris and Pfeiffer (plus Kristen Wiig in a small role) have a lot of courage, and they give it their all. For playing characters that are impossible to get a hold of, they seem to be on the same page as Aronofsky. Now that's talent!
Reviewing movies like this is hard. On the one hand, this is a movie that is confusing, at times maddeningly so. On the other hand, it's rarely boring and makes you wonder where it will go next. It's violent and scary and weird and has more appropriate descriptors than you or I can imagine. I can't in good conscience recommend it, but I'm glad I saw it.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris
Rated R Strong Disturbing Violent Content, Some Sexuality, Nudity and Language
You know, I've seen more than a few thousand movies in my time. On this site alone, the number stands at 1,505 reviews (including this one). Plus 361 on iMDb (there is some overlap). That's 1,866 movies. And that's just after I started reviewing.
The reason I list my credentials is not out of narcissism. It's because of all these movies, I don't recall any that left me so dumbfounded. It's not that it's shocking or a mindfuck, although it is both of those things. It's that it's so bizarre and surreal that it left me unsure of how to react. Hell, I didn't know what it actually was!
Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence play a loving couple living in the middle of the wilderness in a home that she is remodeling while he writes. Their careful idyll is rocked when a man played by Ed Harris shows up at their door under the mistaken belief that it's a bed & breakfast. Bardem invites him to stay the night without Lawrence's consent, and is oblivious to her discontent. The next morning, his wife Michelle Pfeiffer shows up. Soon after that, Bardem invites them to "stay as long as they life." Such an offer would, under the circumstances, unnerve anyone. Least of all because Pfeiffer starts asking Lawrence some personal and inappropriate questions. That's when things get really strange.
How strange do they get? Let's start by going into what material this movie contains. During this movie, you will see such things as: a family feud, a funeral with unexpected guests, a riot, a war battle, a dance club in the dining room, child sacrifices, cannibalism, and writer's block. These aren't necessarily spoilers, however. It's not that kind of movie.
Perhaps Darren Aronofsky was trying to create a deliberately ambiguous movie like "The War Zone" (a movie that bears no similarity to this one). I remember reading a short story about woman and a bear that was written in such a way. The possible allusions that this film refers to are endless. The paparazzi, our current occupant in the White House (I will not defame the title by referring to him by name), writer's block, pregnancy. The list goes on. I think Aronofsky has something in mind, but he fails to convey it.
I applaud the valiant efforts of the cast for their talents. And their guts. With such a script like this, many less courageous actors would have run the other way. But Bardem, Lawrence, Harris and Pfeiffer (plus Kristen Wiig in a small role) have a lot of courage, and they give it their all. For playing characters that are impossible to get a hold of, they seem to be on the same page as Aronofsky. Now that's talent!
Reviewing movies like this is hard. On the one hand, this is a movie that is confusing, at times maddeningly so. On the other hand, it's rarely boring and makes you wonder where it will go next. It's violent and scary and weird and has more appropriate descriptors than you or I can imagine. I can't in good conscience recommend it, but I'm glad I saw it.
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