Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris & Michelle Pfeiffer

There are very few movies that have left me perplexed. In this instance, the question I ask myself, was I entertained or traumatized?

I am yet to understand this feeling properly, even after a good night sleep, waking up on the right side of the bed with a clear head and a hearty breakfast.

What begins innocuously as a story about a long suffering wife supporting her poet  husband in his search for inspiration quickly takes, to put it lightly, an exceedingly dark turn.

I have a lot of respect for Darren Aronofsky and his body of work, most especially “Black Swan”, as I  love psychological thrillers and “Black Swan” hit every spot for me.

Now watching “mother!” I was first captivated by the atmosphere in which the characters were placed.

The acting of both Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem is just phenomenally engaging.I was glued to the screen, I felt honor in being able to experience my first advanced screening  with other film geeks. From the start we were all spellbound. This same feeling turned to bewilderment from the middle of the story. I personally, for one, felt puzzled, questioning the essence of the plot. Where is this going? What am I supposed to look for? A beautifully crafted thriller turned to an untamed tornado of chaos. Even though I was having all these feelings I still could not take my eyes off the screen.

“mother!” is magnificently shot, using three main filming angles to tell the story. Close-ups of J-Law as the title character , her point of view and her over the shoulder. The portrayal of all the actors were impeccable. The story setting is definitely intelligently chosen, but I say the subject matter is unnecessarily overwhelming.

Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” a must watch simply for you to judge for yourself and unddrstand whatall the fuss is about.

Review by Yinka Idowu (Edited by Darnell Swallow)