The world of comic book adaptations and young dystopias is where Jennifer Lawrence first gained recognition. Most of us first encountered her as Mystique, the scaly, red-haired X-Men superhero, or as Katniss Everdeen, the Hunger Games’ heroine with a bow and arrow. However, Lawrence appears to have moved on from those hugely successful starring roles and into different fields as she has become older.
Lawrence has exhibited her versatility as an actor and added to her repertoire since The Hunger Games concluded, which was less than ten years ago. She has collaborated on Oscar contenders with directors like David O. Russell and Adam McKay, switching from high-budget blockbusters to contenders for the upcoming film festival. However, 2017’s is arguably the most audacious movie she has released.
Lawrence collaborated with director Darren Aronofsky on this production. The director, known for his harsh approach, has previously directed the ballet-focused thriller Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream, which both dealt with addiction. Lawrence knew she was taking a chance when she agreed to play the lead in his upcoming picture, as audiences either like or detest his work.
In collaboration with Aronofsky and Lawrence, a stomach-turning horror picture featuring a star-studded ensemble that featured Javier Bardem, Domhnall Gleeson, and Michelle Pfeiffer was created using Biblical themes. Lawrence plays Mother, a lady whose home is overrun with guests and acts of violence that she tries frantically to stop but eventually can’t.
As could be expected, opinions on Mother! were divided. The film’s overabundance of violence scared off some audiences; rumors have it that the filmmaker even got hate mail for the movie when it was booed during its Venice Film Festival premiere. Some reviewers and moviegoers had more positive things to say about the film, praising Lawrence’s portrayal and its fast-paced action.
Luckily, Lawrence didn’t approach the project expecting to receive a lot of attention. It was actually one of the rare occasions when she felt unaffected by the response of the crowd. “Every time you make a movie, you hope everyone likes it,” she said to Deadline of the movie. “It’s definitely not a darling.” That’s all you can think of. We never considered that.
Lawrence considered the film to be a “necessary” yet “assaulting” rather than trying to create anything pleasurable or entertaining. She then on, “I’m proud of us. I’m proud of Darren. I’m proud of us for coming together to deliver something we believe in.” She went so far as to dismiss the movie’s depressing F CinemaScore rating.
Although reviews for the picture were not entirely positive, this appears to be the main idea behind many of Aronofsky’s productions. His approach to filming doesn’t exactly provide for a relaxing moviegoing experience. It tests the limits of viewers’ ability to handle violence and anxiety while writhing in their seats, as well as their willingness to explore the topics and comments that are directly beneath.
Because we already knew Lawrence, casting her in this role was very clever. Even though her portrayals of Katniss and Mystique had made her face recognizable to a large number of us, the anguish and agony that came with viewing Mother! couldn’t be compensated for!
Both Lawrence and Aronofsky carried out their concept for the movie, and despite the low reviews, the actress revealed a new aspect of her acting talent.