This sounds exactly like the kind of movie that I suspect that I won't like, will finally be compelled to check out months from now, and then will end up not liking.
The Bunuel comparisons have popped up in everything I've read on it so far, but I kind of suspect this film lacks anything like Bunuel's playfulness.
― the general theme of STUFF (cryptosicko), Sunday, 17 September 2017 03:46 (six years ago) link
I agree, there's nothing Bunuelian in Aronofsky. the parallels with Exterminating Angel are strictly superficial
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:05 (six years ago) link
This, from a review from my favourite working film critic (who loved the film) is a big red flag for me:
It's unpleasant to the point of unwatchability--an instant entry into the films maudit hall of fame, predicting a popular failure and critical evisceration that are at least in part something Aronofsky must have expected, given how dedicated mother! is to destroying pleasure
― the general theme of STUFF (cryptosicko), Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:15 (six years ago) link
(its the "dedicated to destroying pleasure" that scares me off, I should note, not necessarily the unpleasantness)
― the general theme of STUFF (cryptosicko), Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:16 (six years ago) link
so what's the over/under on the total number of jokes about this at the Globes+Oscars
― El Tomboto, Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:17 (six years ago) link
Won't Lawrence get a nom?
― the general theme of STUFF (cryptosicko), Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:18 (six years ago) link
absolutely not
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:25 (six years ago) link
I guess I shouldn't say that, they love her, but I don't see it happening.
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, 17 September 2017 04:26 (six years ago) link
― the general theme of STUFF (cryptosicko), Saturday, September 16, 2017 11:46 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, September 17, 2017 12:05 AM
agreed
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 17 September 2017 11:47 (six years ago) link
No idea if it's going to actually get nominated, but I was completely enthralled with the sound design
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Sunday, 17 September 2017 12:41 (six years ago) link
"Dedicated to destroying pleasure" doesn't describe my experience. The action of the movie is so theatrical and nested in its own allegorical world that I never found it seriously disturbing or unpleasant.
― jmm, Sunday, 17 September 2017 14:32 (six years ago) link
I've never minded babies getting eviscerated in the hands of a mob.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 17 September 2017 14:39 (six years ago) link
I agree in theory that an artist's self-loathing is not really an interesting subject but I found this pretty effective for what it was
I think ppl are underselling the Rosemary's Baby style black comedy aspect - a huge proportion of this is basically escalating a classic what about bob? type premise
― streeps of range (wins), Sunday, 17 September 2017 15:18 (six years ago) link
He spells it out: http://ew.com/movies/2017/09/17/mother-darren-aronofsky-burning-questions-answered/
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Sunday, 17 September 2017 23:53 (six years ago) link
End credits song should have been "Get Out of My House."
― geoffreyess, Sunday, 17 September 2017 23:54 (six years ago) link
i'm going to see this tonight... is it bad or good
― flopson, Sunday, 17 September 2017 23:56 (six years ago) link
it sucks but you should still go
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 September 2017 00:02 (six years ago) link
the very polarized reactions and takes itt and elsewhere would compel me to see it more than anything
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 September 2017 00:03 (six years ago) link
Okay, but what was that bloody thing in the toilet?
lol, I was wondering about that all weekend.
Anyone know what he's talking about with the yellow powder?
― jmm, Monday, 18 September 2017 00:08 (six years ago) link
Like most movies it's neither terrible nor great. Don't let yourself be polarized!
― geoffreyess, Monday, 18 September 2017 00:50 (six years ago) link
― flappy bird, Sunday, September 17, 2017 8:02 PM
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 September 2017 01:00 (six years ago) link
I assume thats a reference to Charlotte Gilmans Yellow Wallpaper. A few other reviews have mentioned it too.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Monday, 18 September 2017 01:03 (six years ago) link
(xposts - re the yellow powder)
thx. i am going to go to it
― flopson, Monday, 18 September 2017 01:32 (six years ago) link
only reason I could justify seeing this is for Pfeiffer
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Monday, 18 September 2017 03:50 (six years ago) link
worth it
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 September 2017 03:57 (six years ago) link
saw it at the weekend. For me it's an allegory about the nightmare that is DIY
― André Ryu (Neil S), Monday, 18 September 2017 06:42 (six years ago) link
This was of the worst movies I have ever seen.
― davey, Monday, 18 September 2017 08:16 (six years ago) link
first half (with the family who invite themselves in) was a good surreal black comedy, second half (by the time kirsten wiig was instructing a militia to shoot fans of javier bardem's poetry in the face, i mean) was the worst movie i've ever seen. i now think daron aaronovfsky is a deeply stupid person (maybe i should have thought that a long time ago, but it's been a long time since i last saw a film of his). it's actually a feat how much the ending spoils whatever goodwill it had built up in me. sound design was cool (nailed the feel of a creaky echoey old house)
― flopson, Monday, 18 September 2017 08:32 (six years ago) link
*one of
xp to myself
― davey, Monday, 18 September 2017 08:34 (six years ago) link
It's like it was written by a fifth grader.
Some of the first half was okay (Michelle Pfeiffer's performance especially) but the characters are all so flat it's hard to give a shit about any of them.
― davey, Monday, 18 September 2017 08:40 (six years ago) link
saw it at the weekend. For me it's an allegory about the nightmare that is DIY― André Ryu (Neil S), Sunday, September 17, 2017 8:42 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― André Ryu (Neil S), Sunday, September 17, 2017 8:42 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
hearty lol @ this btw
― davey, Monday, 18 September 2017 08:42 (six years ago) link
what were the bible allegories i am too stupid and unlearned to catch them
― flopson, Monday, 18 September 2017 08:50 (six years ago) link
ya pfeiff was the best thing about it hands down
xp Vice reviewer was otm. She mentions that mother could be mother *nature*, which makes the poet the godlike figure, and humanity's abuse of mother nature the allegory. But if that's the case, then the movie sort of glosses over it in favor of secondary themes like womanhood and the suffering artist, and it's a mess.
― davey, Monday, 18 September 2017 09:17 (six years ago) link
I realized how much I'd missed Pfeiffer the last 25 years.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 September 2017 11:00 (six years ago) link
I haven't seen the film but, based on the plot synopsis I read, the allegories seem to have been very, very blatant so I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic
― this iphone speaks many languages (DJP), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:45 (six years ago) link
Awards blogger-racist nitwit Jeffrey Wells is calling this the new L'Age d'Or
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:48 (six years ago) link
xp all that stuff about Jesus seemed as reasonable a Biblical parallel with the film as any
― André Ryu (Neil S), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:50 (six years ago) link
She mentions that mother could be mother *nature*, which makes the poet the godlike figure, and humanity's abuse of mother nature the allegory. But if that's the case, then the movie sort of glosses over it in favor of secondary themes like womanhood and the suffering artist, and it's a mess.
I took the Bardem figure as being just as abstract as Mother, which would make the fact of his being an "artist" just as much a metaphor as the house is. but then I don't really buy the "this is about how hard it is to be an artist" reading at all tbh
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:52 (six years ago) link
or at least I don't buy it as the primary driver of the movie
Again, I am only getting this via plot synopsis (which described the movie events and didn't link them to particular stories) but the movie runs through God creating the earth, the creation of Man and Woman, Man and Woman getting cast out of Eden after eating the apple, Cain and Abel, and the birth and sacrifice of Christ, expressed as a cyclical pattern.
― this iphone speaks many languages (DJP), Monday, 18 September 2017 14:55 (six years ago) link
Kristen Wiig as murderous prophet is almost admirable in casting against type.
I like the one moment of diegetic music as the house party cranks up. Not sure what Bible parallel that was meant to be.
― jmm, Monday, 18 September 2017 15:08 (six years ago) link
Is it? I've always seen her as rather imperious.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 September 2017 15:22 (six years ago) link
Yeah Wiig was great & casting made perfect sense
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 September 2017 16:17 (six years ago) link
“There were actors we were talking to, but when I heard Kristen was available, I said, ‘Sure.’ I think it works with the whole weird dream vibe of the movie. That suddenly this familiar face shows up. I don’t want to say that Kristen shows up in a nightmare, but it’s very strange and odd. You’re not expecting it, and it kind of throws audiences. I think it’s just another way of people going, ‘What’s she doing?’ and seeing her character take all these surprise turns you would never expect of her. It was fun, and about giving audiences a little gift in the middle of the film.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/09/darren-aronofsky-explains-mother
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 18 September 2017 16:24 (six years ago) link
movie made like 7.5m over the weekend and had a 'F' rating on cinemascore
― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Monday, 18 September 2017 16:36 (six years ago) link
yeah, imagine Americans being dumb dipshits that would watch the scary clown reboot that looks like a live action Five Nights at Freddys
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 18 September 2017 16:45 (six years ago) link
*imagines this with zero difficulty*
― davey, Monday, 18 September 2017 18:46 (six years ago) link