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Mother Mary review
Music from Charli xcx can’t save David Lowery’s dour chamber piece, despite some flashes of dazzling style
TL;DR
- The film stars Anne Hathaway as Mother Mary, a pop star attempting a comeback after a mysterious event.
- She seeks help from fashion designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), her former partner and potential lover, who despises her.
- The movie is described as a preposterous yet consistently stylish two hours featuring big acting, body horror, and surreal visuals.
- While Hathaway is convincing as a pop star in flashback scenes, the film's focus is on conversations between Mary and Sam in a dilapidated barn.
- Michaela Coel's performance as Sam is highlighted as subtler and more compelling than Hathaway's, with Coel delivering the best one-liners.
- The film is criticized for side-stepping its central queer relationship and failing to explore deeper themes of stardom and its impact on the psyche.
- Director David Lowery's style is seen as derivative, with clear references to films like 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover' and 'Persona'.
- Despite having elements that could appeal to a certain audience, the film is deemed too po-faced and lacking in knowingness to become a cult classic.