Mother! – If You Like…

…if you like the bizarre, then you will like Mother! Great acting from Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris, as you would expect. The theme has been used before, but never in such an extreme way (you’ll see what we mean when you get to the end). The trailer says, “A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.” And at first, as the movie unravels, it’s a slow exploration of their rather odd relationship and the majestic old house the wife is renovating. He’s a writer, so in the beginning we forgive his quirks. Kay’s son (Cee’s grandson) fell asleep during the first half and, as he describes it, woke up to “world war three.” That’s a good description of what happens. The action ramps up to the absurd. Unlike Jay, neither Kay nor Cee could fall asleep, however. The oddities, the bizarre situations, the setting and the acting held our attention. We did guess where it was going, but that didn’t mean we weren’t mesmerized. So – if you want a wild ride, a fairly slow climb to the top of the roller coaster and then a dive with lots of ups and downs and craziness, you’ll have fun watching Mother!

For those of you who like deep meaning, you’ll find plenty to explore.

If You Like: Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman

If you like reading Jo Nesbo, then you’ll like The Snowman. Nesbo is a Norwegian best-selling author of crime novels, particularly the Harry Hole series. His plots are always complex and suspenseful, often with many layers and a twist (or two). The movie does the book justice. You definitely have to pay attention; there are lots of characters and plot twists. If you don’t know Harry Hole, you’ll be catching up on his odd quirks, too, which adds to the story.  Michael Fassbender does a great job in the role and is just how I pictured Harry. The setting of Oslo is spectacular. Some of Movie Junkie’s clients have said they didn’t like it, but Kaycee think that’s because they expected a class horror. This movie is a psychological thriller, with some gruesome scenes, but it’s not a horror. Some critics have called it “serviceable” but others say “watchable.” So the movie might not win awards, but Cee really liked it because she’s a huge Jo Nesbo fan. If you’re one those, you might like The Snowman a lot too. Or you’ll just have fun guessing who the perp is and watching Harry Hole.