Tries a little too hard

Rating: 5/10 (14 December 2017)

The director succeeded in making something mysterious and complex, but lacking in depth. I found the movie enjoyable on many levels, though difficult to watch at times because of the emotional darkness and graphic scenes. I wish I could give it more stars, but in the end, I felt the movie didn't respect the audience enough. It was looking down on them, and even had built-in defense mechanisms. It was built for high ratings, and contrived to convert low rating into controversy. I personally thought it should get neither a high nor a low rating. It was a movie with a great idea and brooding atmosphere, but was somewhat dragged down by the acting of Jennifer Lawrence who appeared much too self aware and the execution of the allegory felt mechanical. But, the energy of the movie picked up by the end, with the final scene that included the newborn making for a masterful ending. Javier Bardem was excellent, as well.
Director Darren Aronofsky ticked all the boxes for artistry and mystique, but forgot to invite the audience along. If creating a classic movie was as easy as ticking boxes, the box office would be littered with them.