mother!  ★★★½

DARREN Aronofsky’s new film, mother!, is polarising audiences.

It’s not an easy film to recommend (don’t blame me if you hate it), but it is a fascinating and thought-provoking watch that shouldn’t be summarily dismissed.

There is no doubt the man is an auteur based on his eclectic back catalogue – Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, The Wrestler, Noah, Pi, The Fountain.

If you can’t find something entertaining and fascinating amongst that lot, you’re just not trying.

But none of those will prepare you fully for the challenge that is mother!

Some critics have labelled it an incomprehensible mess. That’s just ignorant click-bait. Aronofsky’s vision and purpose is undoubtedly clear (in the end!); it just isn’t for everybody.

I purposely ignored every trailer and article that might have given away key elements of the story or treatment. Based on a skerrick of information, it appeared to be a claustrophobic, psychological horror film.

It is kind of that…but also a hell of a lot more and something completely different again.

I’m still not sure whether my approach was the right one. It wasn’t until half-way into the film that a few things seemed to fall into place and I realised it was working on a much larger scale and vision than I had anticipated.

So, I was disappointed that the film wasn’t as expected, but equally fascinated by the turn it took.

Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are the key performers and both relish the opportunity afforded to operate on two character levels.

They play a couple whose tranquil, but oddly unsettling existence in a rambling country home is slowly upturned by a range of increasingly difficult visitors disrespecting their lives and property. Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhall Gleeson and Kristen Wiig are also part of the formidable cast.

Of particular note are the cinematography by Matthew Libatique  and sound design by Col Anderson, both of whom have worked on several previous Aronofsky films.

While trying not to give anything away, there is an extraordinary final act that is  so audacious it’s worth the price of admission alone.

***Warning: The rest of this review is full of potential spoilers which may or may not assist with your ultimate enjoyment of the film****

I say ‘potential’ spoilers because I’m not even sure that my interpretation is correct…but here goes.

The film is an allegory; a warning to man that we need to stop destroying the planet and ourselves with our behaviour, but also acknowledging that our final destiny is in the hands of a creator who has so far unquestioningly shown us love and patience.

The home represents the Earth, Lawrence’s character Mother Earth and Bardem is either God or some form of creator (or maybe a go-between, Jesus perhaps?). Man in all his myriad forms is represented by the visitors who disrespect the home and Lawrence’s authority. She is constantly looking after the home, picking up after the visitors, warning them to be careful.

She is ignored and abused and constantly urges her husband to stand up to these people, to make them leave her home. But he is a benevolent being, constantly recognising that man has failings but deserves to be loved and nurtured; to be given a chance.

As the key intruders, Harris and Pfeiffer represent Adam and Eve (I think?). When one of their sons kills the other, the biblical links start to mount and ultimately dominate the story. The final act where the home is completely over-run and chaos and violence erupt makes for an incredibly detailed and fascinating sequence along the lines of films such as Children of Men.

I disagree that it’s pretentious and ‘wanky’. There is nothing wrong with addressing these themes; it’s just bloody hard to do it in a successful and accessible way. Aronofsky should be applauded for a damn good attempt.