Hey friends. Barbarella here. MOTHER MARY, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, hits theaters today. When iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) injures herself during a performance, she begins to feel haunted, or more accurately tormented, by something. Believing the only way to escape the torment is to acquire the perfect dress for her show, she returns to her old haunting grounds to seek out former friend and costume designer Sam (Michaela Coel) to provide it. However, she and Sam had a falling out years ago, and the request requires much more than simply giving her the specs.
Utilizing a framework of lost friendship, resentment, ambition, and struggle, the film provides a juicy script into which its actors could really dig their teeth. And the performances are exquisite. In some of Anne Hathaway’s best work, she truly embodies a diva struggling deeply underneath the facade of success. Michaela Coel both devours words and spits them out like a woman scorned. The intensity of emotion as the women express grievances and regrets is only matched by the vibrancy of the reds populating the scenes like a narcissist. It’s not just the use of that color, which symbolizes blood, damage, conflict, womanhood, passion, and rage, but also the cinematography that proves rich and enticing.
From the spectacular concert scenes, reminiscent of a Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga show, to the quieter, less monumental scenes, the cinematography captivates. It’s worth seeing it in theaters for the visual elements alone. David Lowery’s film offers elaborate set designs for the musical performances, where Anne Hathaway owns the music like a true diva. That said, the story leans heavily into abstraction, making the meaning feel a bit elusive at times. There’s so much symbolism, religious and otherwise, throughout the visually intricate film, yet the film lacks some clarity. Moving through themes of friendship, betrayal, revenge, love, and desire, it has all the elements to make it truly memorable, yet outside of the visuals and the performances, I’m not sure that I understand what exactly I watched. I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I like to believe that I’m fairly intelligent and can follow a storyline, but by the end of MOTHER MARY, I confess I feel a little lost. Because of that, I leave the movie with mixed feelings.
On the one hand, I love the spectacle of it, from the striking costumes and live concerts to the dramatic and haunting visuals. I love the incredible performances by both Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, who command attention throughout. But, on the other hand, I don’t know what I saw, really. That lack of comprehension makes me wonder if I were just too tired when I attended the screening (sleep deprivation is a terrible thing), or if it were intended to be so abstract that people would need to view it multiple times to digest the full meaning.
In summary, the visuals and performances prove powerful, while the narrative may require patience and interpretation to discern its full meaning. MARY MOTHER is in theaters now.
Check out the trailer!
