mother!

[peter]

I saw Darren Aronofski's mother! for the second time last night and things in this wild meltdown of a film at last began to fall into place for me. It concerns the story of a young lady and her older husband who live a sheltered life, she renovating his old country house previously damaged in a fire and he struggling to overcome the writer's block that is crippling his career as a poet. Two visitors who arrive unannounced begin the couple's descent into a surreal mix of horror and mystery which, once having taken hold never the slightest release their suffocating grip.
There are serious allegories at work here that demand some intense thinking out, and the chaos into which the couple's situation progresses is by no means going to do it for everyone - but for those of us for whom the film works it is in it's own small way nothing short of a miraculous act of creation. Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem shine as the unnamed couple ably backed up by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer as the couple who inveigle their way into their lives. There are a host of other participants as the situation becomes increasingly chaotic and frightening and by the time of it's final explosion into resolution one cannot be blamed for heaving a huge sigh of relief (prior to the attempt to pull it all together). Once however, the central allegory is in place, it is great fun dotting the i's and crossing the t's as you work out what referred to what in this infuriating, stupid, brilliant film.

[Skyweir]

sounds interesting .. will look out for it

[peter]

Do see if you get the chance Sky - I'd love to hear your take on it!

[Cagliostro]

I sometimes love this kind of movie, and sometimes really hate it. I've been holding off on this one because I don't know if I'll hate it like the Fountain, or like it like Black Swan and Pi, or just simply be disturbed like Requiem For A Dream. If it was Paul Thomas Anderson, I would have already written it off. Aronofski has a better track record, but I've definitely not embraced any of his work, and I suspect this will be more of the same for me. I like heady movies that deal less in plot than allegory, but my favorite of these are usually more fun than he tends to get. I'm curious though, and will probably end up seeing it.

[peter]

The fun, I think, with this movie is putting (or rather pulling) it all together in one's head after the event. The seeing of it is good that as well, so give it a whirl Cag! Whether Aronofski has succeeded or not in his attempt to make something special is up to the individual to decide - but he has tried; this is not lazy, safe film making and on this basis hehas earned his viewing time.