Mother Mary (dir. David Lowery)
By: Adam Freed
Long live the bravery of David Lowery. The visionary writer and director has planted his flag in an inspired filmography that is equal parts bold and unapologetic. From the visual intrigue of the mythical The Green Knight (2021) to the methodically original genre study A Ghost Story (2017), Lowery has carved an uncompromisingly laudable path that seems unaffected by trend and outside influence. In an age of theatrical risk mitigation, A24 Studios has flaunted the unfortunate trend of muted creativity by unleashing a visionary tour-de force in Mother Mary.
Audiences will be best served to maintain patience and allow Mother Mary to lead down the path of the unexpected rather than to evaluate David Lowery’s film on the basis of expectation. The titular Mary, played by a dazzling Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables, The Devil Wears Prada), is a popstar of immense notoriety embarking on what amounts to a comeback journey following a rather unfortunate accident. In order to unearth her muse, Mary makes an unannounced visit to the Gothic English estate of famed fashion designer and former partner Sam Anselm, a decision that sets off a memorable and mystical chain of events. Anselm’s character leaps from the screen thanks to an otherworldly breakthrough performance by Michaela Coel (The Christophers). Like many of Lowery’s works, Mother Mary represents several of the qualities of the most intriguing forms of filmmaking. His story isn't rushed, weaponizing a methodical pace that adds to the profundity of Mother Mary’s impact. A writer and director unwilling to compromise on his vision, is something to be celebrated in a world of cynical visual and thematic duplication.
Anne Hathaway tends to be at her best in roles that allow an outer strength to make way for the omnipresence of an overwhelming fragility. In the case of Mother Mary, Mary cannot seem to find the strength and confidence she once possessed as an international icon without finding a way to mend fences with Anselm. It is the simplest of joys to witness two actors, both at the height of their craft, slowly unwrap their tumultuous history. Both artists, equally gifted, are in search of the muse that, despite their history of friction, never touched them more clearly than when they worked together.
One of the most fascinating aspects about Mother Mary is that the entrancing genre mashup is a celebration of art that sprays in all directions. Much like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread (2017), Lowery’s film is a celebration of the painstaking process of creation. Some of the more supernatural elements of the film attempt, although incompletely, to pinpoint the origins of inspiration’s existence, and the rules of its transference. The most evergreen portion of Mother Mary comes from the distinct visual artistry of Lowery himself, who rather than simply tell the tale of two embattled women, seemingly paints his story like a canvas, allowing open minded audiences to interpret and internalize what they will from its various hues and shades.
Mother Mary does no handholding as it makes its elevated expectations for its audience apparent through what could be considered a methodical and dialogue-laden first act. But the payoff is to witness dueling and dynamic screen performances from Coel and Hathaway. In an era of obvious exposition and painful predictability, Mother Mary is a panacea for creative bankruptcy. The two handed chamber piece produces bursts of joy, wonder, darkness, and ultimately a compassionate understanding that represents the very best that the creative arts have to offer. David Lowery has built a substantial reputation by creating thought-provoking visual art, and Mother Mary may very well be his best to date.
Target Score 8/10 - One is best to leave expectations at the door of David Lowery’s mystical and macabre Mother Mary, a challenging film that offers a three pronged artistic assault likely to leave patient audiences gasping for breath.