Review: Mother Mary

Official synopsis: Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer, Sam  Anselm (Michaela Coel), on the eve of her comeback performance. 

Coel, Hathway, beautiful costumes, pop music, horror elements, could anything be more made for me? That's what I hoped to find with David Lowery's latest. He's a director whose films I've enjoyed in the past. So did he do it?

For the most part, I was absolutely vibing with everything. Coel is giving a Shakespearean performance. Her monologues are intense and full of intrigue. Hathaway is broken, but comes alive on stage. She's very committed to her role as a pop star. Especially during a particular dance number that's stripped quite bare.

Lowery wants the audience to have their own interpretations to what's happening now, what happened then, he leaves a lot of room for us to fill in the blanks. Almost too much room at times. I spent a lot of time thinking about this film before I started to write about it. I left the theater knowing that I enjoyed what I watched, but not exactly sure that I *got* all of it. The metaphors can be a bit confusing, as is deciphering what is supposed to be real and what isn't. 

I just had to sit with it and take it all in. This is a film that probably benefits from multiple viewings. I know I'll watch it again when it hits streaming, but if you're like me and you feel a bit confused at the end. Don't feel bad. I'm right there with you.

The costumes and set pieces are gorgeous, the music is catchy, and two of the best working actresses today are giving it there all. There's plenty to love here.

B