Beyond Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2017)

This movie took my breath away. When the end credits began to roll, all I could think of was just how brilliant this film is! I was absolutely astonished by the level of craftsmanship on Darren Aronofsky's part, and just the sheer complexity of the writing. Aronofsky says he wrote the screenplay in six days, which just blows my mind. It is so intricate and delicately designed, that I don't know how he was able to write it in less than a week. I think it just goes to show how much of a pure genius Aronofsky is. This is a movie that is driven 100% by its story and its screenplay. Everything else, from the camera angles, to the score, to the performances, are in service to that script. So it's hard to sit here and say "Oh, well the cinematography is gorgeous" or "Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic in the film", because their purpose was not to stand out on their own. Everything they did was to enrich and drive forward this story, and that doesn't necessarily work for every film, but it absolutely works here. This film is made by the deep complexity of its metaphors and allegories, and by its social and theological analysis of our past, present, and future. Without the strength of its script, mother! would fall apart. Luckily, Aronofsky has crafted a masterful screenplay that works and plays on so many different levels...