Your Happy Place Can Kiss Darren Aronofsky’s Ass

“People have said that my films are very difficult to watch, that they’re experiences you are put through rather than ones you enjoy, and it’s true.”

– John Cassavetes

Cassavetes and Darren Aronofsky would have gotten along nicely I think.

No one has probably ever said going to a Darren Aronofsky film is fun, but you must respect the pair on him to do what he does with no apologies. He’s unconventional, which can translate to controversial. The director of Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan thrives off testing the audience. He’s provocative with the stories he tells, and his newest, boldest film, mother!, is just another example of him pushing the boundaries of how we experience movies.

Audiences are mortified of mother! to put it mildly, and I get it. Outside of critics, most moviegoers have hated the movie, especially the last 30 minutes or so when all hell is unleashed. As Entertainment Weekly shares with us, the writer/director isn’t too bothered:

I think I knew it was going to be a lot of stuff. Anytime you do something that aggressive there are going to be people who enjoy it, who want to be on that roller coaster ride, and then there are others who say, ‘Oh no, that was not for me.’ It’s a strange one. You see Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer and people are conditioned for a certain type of movie. And… we didn’t do that type of movie. [Laughs] It’s all good. I don’t mind people are upset by the film because it’s supposed to be a reflection and a cautionary tale of what’s happening to the planet.

And Aronofsky has the full support of Paramount Pictures, who released the film. Per IndieWire, Paramount’s worldwide president of marketing and distribution Megan Colligan has no regrets either:

“This movie is very audacious and brave. You are talking about a director at the top of his game, and an actress at the top her game. They made a movie that was intended to be bold. Everyone wants original filmmaking, and everyone celebrates Netflix when they tell a story no one else wants to tell. This is our version. We don’t want all movies to be safe. And it’s okay if some people don’t like it.”

A lot of people know less about the director and more about the star, Jennifer Lawrence. Mother! isn’t a Lawrence film, she’s being tormented in Aronofsky’s world. Beyond that, this isn’t a horror film, just horrific things happen in it. Still, I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars stating it’s a “haunting thriller that’s demented, disturbing & disgusting. Aronofsky doesn’t give a damn about playing it safe. Love or hate his incredibly bold film, you’ll think WTF while questions flood your mind. That’s when you know the director has done his job.”

There’s room for films that may go against all you believe in. You don’t have to enjoy everything you see. Hate on it if you’d like (giving it an F Cinemascore is one way to do that), but the beauty about movies is each of us can watch the same one and walk out with completely different opinions. It’s all open for interpretation, and Aronofsky is well aware of that. He fucking welcomes it.

“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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