Displaying items by tag: Mother Mary movie

MOTHER MARY

US, 2026, 111 minutes, Colour.

Anne Hathaway, Michaela Cooel, Hunter Schaefer, FKA twigs, Jessica Brown Findlay.

Directed by David Lowery.

What would most audiences, seeing the title, Mother Mary, b is e expecting? The Christian overtones of the title are visualised in Mary, the popular singer and her concerts, her dresses, headdress with rays, reminders of Mary, Mother of Jesus. And, throughout the film, there are verbal references, in conversation, and in the songs, to the Spirit, Pentecost, faith, belief…

This is a weird experience, to say the least. And, some audiences have felt it too much, too confusing, the verbal, visual weirdness.

In fact, this is a psychodrama, a two hander encounter between two strong actresses in two strong performances, Anne Hathaway as the popular singing star, Mother Mary, and British Michaela Coel (also confronting Ian McKellen in The Christophers) as Sam Anselm, longtime dressmaker, now alienated from Mary.

Mary is desperate, an accident in performance (deliberate or not?), Emotionally disturbed, offering to apologise to Sam, requesting her best address for Mary’s London comeback, reinstating her as a star.

There is a lot of psychological to-ing and fro-ing, some serious game-playing, Sam generally in control, hurt by Mary in the past, alienation for twenty five years, once an avid fan, now Mary eliminated from her life, but intrigued, affronted, by Mary’s arrival and request for the dress.

Mention is made of metaphors and there are many of these, visualised, in word and in rituals, interactions of psyches, interactions of imaginations, floating, swirling red material, ingested, excised… A dark ritual, a circle drawn, echoes of magic and exorcism.

Fans of popular stars may relish this strange exploration of a singer and her relationships. Writer-director, David Lowery, noted that he was drawing on the impact of Taylor Swift. Anne Hathaway referred to Beyonce as an influence on her performance. And, significantly in Anne Hathaway’s recent film, The Devil Wears Prada 2, there is a powerful sequence between Meryl Streep’s Miranda priestly and Lady Gaga about a performance at a fashion show. Some of the songs for Mother Mary were written by Charli the XCX  who was also the subject of a film about a singer and her career, the moment.

With the popularity of such stars, this film offers a great deal of appeal, an invitation to go behind the scenes, go behind the faces, go behind the facades, wondering what they will find -perhaps weirdness and truth.

1. The application of the title, the Virgin Mary, Catholicism, spirituality, statues of Mary, images, garments, head raise…?
2. The world of international stars, singers, concerts, application Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, beyond say? Songs by Charli XCX, the presence of FKA twigs?
3. The range of songs, the lyrics, the musical score, performance, elaborate costumes, choreography?
4. The film as a dramatic two hander, Mary and Sam, memory and hurt? The presence of the supporting cast, friends, the assistant, the dancers?
5. The film as a psychodrama, the human psyche, sanity, emotions? Physical, health? The use of the imagination? Metaphors and symbols? The words describing them? Actions? Visual symbols?
6. The realism and the images, the red material, floating, absorbed, cut out, extracted, final floating? Panic and liberation?
7. The final ritual, the touch of the supernatural, application of exorcisms?
8. The relationship between Mary and Sam, 25 years, the bonds of the past, celebration, the dressmaking, Mary and her success, Sam and enthusing? The break, the separation, the hurt, the image of the broken tooth and extraction? Mary returning after so long?
9. Mary, as a character, celebrity, enjoying her celebrity, singing, dancing, composing songs? 25 years? Falling out with Sam? The reason for her visit?
10. Sam, in herself, her work, the office, the big barn, its layout, the mannequins, materials? As a fan of Mary, addresses and success, the tooth, the break,?
11. Mary’s arrival, the encounter with Hilda, the final meeting with Sam? Their talking, Sam and her hurt, distance, psychologising Mary, taunting her, the questions, her wisdom, the use of symbols, rituals, the issue of apology?
12. The request of the dress, the aftermath of the accident, intentional or not, the fans, the dress, the idea of the train, all the images from her concerts and life? The to-ing and fro-ing of the argument? The psychological implications of the dress? Moving towards reconciliation, friendship, the ritual, the making of the dress – or no reconciliation?
13. The impact of the ritual, the two women, the circle, the incision, the blood, the drawing out of the material, healing?
14. The finale, Mary and her performance, the dress, removing it? Hilda describing the event to Sam?
15. And, the final threefold apology?