Lowery gives us Mother Mary at two speeds: the quietly deliberate, dimly lit, careful interrogation in the workshop where Mother Mary slowly opens up and reveals herself to Sam. This is punctuated by adrenaline rush, flashes of her stadium performances. Lowery then shifts gears abruptly from practical real-life to a spiritual journey of magic in which pain and longing take physical form, and demons must be exorcised. There is relationship drama, pop music, witchcraft, body horror, and a brilliant seance with English singer FKA Twigs as a medium.
Hunter Schafer elegantly supports the dressmaking/retribution/therapy session as Sam’s assistant, Hilda. But center stage is owned by Hathaway and Coel. Hathaway embodies Mother Mary powerfully in her incandescent stage performances and in her depths of despair. The role is much more physical than one would expect, but she is up to it, her body lean and hard, moving with grace. With her rock-hard abs on display, it looks like she trained for this film like it was a Marvel movie. She’s absolutely convincing as a mega star on stage, performing songs written by Charlie XCX and FKA Twigs. Hathaway kills in this role.
“… It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s cinematic magic …”
Her counterpart, Coel, furiously chews the scenery, providing the connective tissue that holds this enterprise together. She drives the narrative forward, fully in charge of the situation. Mother Mary (and the viewer) is at her mercy. Coel is an emotionally charged actress, her surgical strike energy amplified by her stunning, beautiful features. Her face is feline, with an almost elvish quality. Close-ups of her looking directly into the camera are mesmerizing.
Lowery has made films that range from children’s entertainment in Pete’s Dragon, to deep meditations like Ghost Story. Mother Mary is an addition to his art film oeuvre, meaning it’s not as accessible as other Hollywood films. Much is left to interpretation by the viewer. Lowery sees the world differently and presents his films from that unique perspective. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s cinematic magic. This one is a real gamble for A24, and kudos to them for taking the chance. Mother Mary is an art film at its core, and will not suit everyone’s palette, but for the audience it connects with, there’s a beautiful journey from sorrow to confession and possible absolution.
Learn more at the official Mother Mary website.
"…a beautiful journey from sorrow to confession and possible absolution."
