A Mother!'s Nightmare

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2017)

Darren Aronofsky's disturbing nightmare parable horror-thriller, is a new masterclass work in cinematic depictions and narrative
In the comforting urban paradise, separated from the rest of the world, a husband and wife's tranquil life is disturbed by the continues arrival of uninvited guests. 'Mother'(Jennifer Lawrence) becomes incapable of stopping the trespasses 'Him' (Javier Barden) graciously invites the people into their homes as means to create inspiration for his writing. But as tensions and distress begin to flood the house, transcendent rage rises in the heart of Mother!
Aronofsky is very well known for his disturbing, surreal dark fantasies as shown by works like Black Swan, but Mother! is something else entirely. Never before has film like this been more alive cinematically. There is much to repel and divide audiences in the case of Mother!, what Aronofsky effectively achieves is moments of massive shock that may enrage audiences., but beyond the visual level is a much compelling nature.
In the very soul of the film is Jenifer Lawrence, the active housewife to Javier Barden, determined to respect her husbands ambitions, but also break his writers block. In a very extraordinary view, we are never not by Lawrence's side as the camera creeps astonishing behind Lawrence's every move in extreme close ups and over the shoulder shots. Consistently always from her point of view, we are easily transported into the nauseating nightmare that becomes her world. Even as she seeks gentle comfort from her husband, Barden presence and behaviour only drags us further into the depth of the horror.
Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer are the first of the guests to arrive at the house, and from first contact immediately are most definitely no the company you want in your home. Pfeiffer is frustratingly terrific as the childlike, intrusive 'woman', with her nosy tendency to invading the couple's personal life which leaves 'mother's' aggressive lashes to be only responded by ignorance from the her husband and 'woman'.
The haunting presence of location within the house is fascinatingly portrayed by Matthew Libatique's cinematography, although always in focus on Lawrence, creates the Gothic environment of the harrowing home. In one scene, Libaitque takes us through and almost historic but apocalyptic journey through the house, during the shocking and jaw dropping climax.
Mother!'s ending result leaves you rather traumatised and overwhelmed by the astounding cinematic creation you have just witnessed. In an amazing display, Aronofsky has fabricating and elusive dream like vision layered in many and different narratives to be interpreted in multiple ways depending on its viewers. From a poetic expression of the collapse of a happy marriage to a comment on torment of mother nature, to also biblical depictions.
Mother! is masterfully constructed piece in whatever way you look at it. From surface level this work, is a very controversial and staggeringly difficult watch but as construction of narrative and cinema is phenomenal.