The Muse (spoilers)

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2019)

When I watched the film the first time, I was genuinely in a state of shock. During the movie, my writer's mind kept asking: "what the flip is happening?" Is the Poet an ET? Is the Poet a creator of a virtual world after an apocalypse? Then as the movie came to a close and I reflected after the breathless, intense, emotional and horrific last 20 minutes, I was like 'Duh'. This is a brilliant film. The Poet is "God" of creation, his creation, his art (poetry in the film but could be applied to any form of art like fiction, directing, acting, painting, sculpting, etc.) The house is "Just setting," as the Poet/Him says in the film. It is disregarded as just background. The Muse (Jennifer Lawrence) is the "Inspiration" and the one who restored the house after the fire. The Muse is confused, angry, and annoyed by the invasion of first the Couple who enters the house. Each time the Muse changes something or acts she has a fit where is sees glimpses of the burned down house and we hear the sound of ringing crystal. She takes medicine. The Poet makes love to the Muse, and she says she's pregnant. A creation, an innocent new thing. But by then we had witnessed the utter destruction of the house and people involved in all kinds and types of human craziness, zealotry, veneration that makes no sense but the Poet loves it. To him, human suffering, craziness, chaos fuels his desire to create which in turns fuels the zealotry, veneration, and chaos from humanity which results in even more human suffering. The Muse just wants to be comfortable and alone with her house and her Poet and also now the baby which they both created in this pairing of Inspiration and outlet (the Poet/artist). But by the birth of the baby, the Muse no longer trusts the Poet because he cares more about being worshipped, venerated, and sought after by his fans. Anyway, this movie is not for the shallow thinker or for someone who does not have the perpencity toward creation of their own like some form of art. They will not get the film. However, people who see films not only for entertainment value but also to be shocked and provoked into thinking in deeper ways, past the scenes, into the symbolism will appreciate what the creator of the film was trying to convey.