Mother!

Mislead, shock, and the burning fascination this film leaves you with deserves more recognition than it is given. This film, intriguing, yet entirely frustrating, the kind of movie that makes you feel as if you're going crazy, the kind that has you internally screaming and pleading the characters had more sense then they do. 

We start with a seemingly innocent scene, a Victorian style mansion, in a sunny, warm, naturally kept field. In it resides a woman and her husband. A poet and his wife, of course, in the middle of nowhere. What could go wrong? 

The wife, or the “Mother” played by Jennifer Lawrence, and her husband, or the “Writer” played by Javier Bardem, both have key differences regarding their character. The writer, a distant, trusting, and, yet, almost overly optimistic. It was unusual, and gave his character an almost illogical tone. I saw this odd behavior as maybe a form of foreshadowing, but nothing, absolutely nothing, could have accurately prepared me for what the ending held . “The Mother”, however, is observant, and smart, making her character seem more real and trustworthy. Having a reasonable, level-headed lead in a movie is preferred, but when the lead is not in control it can be quite irritating. 

 Following a peculiar scene we see an older man randomly knock at their door. He asks the husband if he can come in and wait for his wife, because his car had broken down. The overly kind and easily trusting writer lets him in. This causes tension in the house between the unconsulted wife and the dewy-eyed husband. 

The older man stays the night, but before he makes it to bed “The Mother” is awoken by him retching over the toilet bowl with a bloody hand covering his abdomen. The next morning, with no explanation of what the mother had seen the night before, an older woman knocks at their door. The older man’s wife. She’s welcomed in with no hesitation, and rightfully so “The Mother” is furious.

 The older wife causes nothing but trouble. She makes herself at home, being destructive and deceiving, and eventually, through one of her careless acts, breaks something the writer loved, and cherished, after he had specifically asked her not to go near it. The writer was furious. While he’s mourning the loss of this important artifact two men barge in. The older man’s son’s. While, strangely enough, yelling angrily, regarding their right to their fathers dying inheritance. It turns violet. Then the most disturbing, staggering, fast paced, and insanely unexpected ending to any film I had ever seen. Its aggressive and harsh ending was, however, not the most fascinating part of this film. 

The theory’s and general interpretations were. The theory regarding its biblical correlations, though, had to be my favorite. Each character symbolizes significant characteristics of those in the New Testament, as well as a number of other similarities. Debatable, I know, but I’ve always had an admiration for the director's ability to cause such a stir in conversation regarding what the film actually meant.