Troubled by the inconsistencies in the ideology of the Roman
Catholic Church, Saint Thomas Aquinas sought to raise the level of theological
debate through logic.. Seven centuries later despite the flaws in his argument,
Aquinas’ postulation that God was The First to push, which cosmologically
states that everything that moves must have had something push it and in turn
that thing pushes another and so on. The question would further develop from
there and is still studied in contemporary books on theoretical physics, meta
physics and or philosophy, which is if God created the universe did God have a
choice? There is a fringe area in science where the esoteric and the scientific
coexist comfortably, especially when one considers regardless of how one
interprets God, Theoretical Physicists have long stated that their ultimate
goal is to know the mind of God. This question is something that has personally
interested me from both a layperson’s perspective and a creative writer’s
perception for a long time and it is part of the tapestry of my 2016 science
fiction novella, First Mover. First Maker. I find that Auteur Darren
Aronofsky’s work often deals with similar esoteric themes that call into
question the nature of our being whether it is in his feature film debut Pi
or in other films he has directed like The Tree Of Life, Noah,
and now most recently with his feature film mother! I would even state
that some of his more grounded films like Requiem For A Dream could be
looked upon in a similar way even though there are no overt supernatural
occurrences in his adaptation of Hubert Selby’s acclaimed novel. However
whether it is the Beat Generation Authors and Playwrights or established
contemporary filmmakers and storytellers like Darren Aronofsky, a film that
presents a point of view that combines elements of Judeo-Christian esotericism
with contemporary vision and then sets it within an Octagonal House seemingly
isolated from the world and yet encompassing it in total, I like a film that
does not give me all the answers, but instead offers the viewer multiple
interpretations on what is going on and what is the filmmaker trying to tell
us? While some answers may seem more plausible than others, there are not
necessarily any right or wrong answers because sometimes the Artist knows not
why the Artist does what the Artist does, but the Artist’s work speaks it’s own
words based upon the interpretation of the beholder. So I see in it the
question Saint Thomas Aquinas asked and have one interpretation, but my
perception is neither the only way one can look at mother! nor is it
right or wrong either. I could discuss this film for hours and I am sure many
have and will do so in the future, but ultimately I feel the viewer should
enter this film knowing as little as possible so they can take in the
experience for themselves and that is why I will not discuss any story points
in this review beyond what I have detailed above. You have to see this film for
yourself.
Paramount Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray Disc edition features
a beautiful AVC encoded 1080p/24fps high definition presentation depending upon
the users own viewing equipment and couples is with an enveloping English Dolby
ATMOS Soundtrack that is backwardly compatible with Dolby TrueHD Systems too. A
standard definition 16 by 9 enhanced version of the film is included within the
two-disc Blue BD case. Both the Blu-ray Disc and DVD versions feature an
English Descriptive Audio Track that narrates the action for the visually
impaired as well as French and Spanish Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Soundtracks along with English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired as
well as French and Spanish Language Subtitles encoded as options. The Blu-ray
Disc also features standard English Subtitles and a Portuguese Language Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and optional Portuguese Language Subtitles too.
Within the BD case is an insert with a limited time only redeemable code for a
Digital Copy for either i’Tunes or
Ultraviolet users. The Blu-ray Disc also includes a documentary detailing the
making of the film with extensive high definition behind-the-scenes footage and
interviews (29:51) and the makeup effects (6:45) detailing the animatronics
creations made for the film too. The interactive menus are all well rendered and
easy to navigate.
mother! will debut on Blu-ray Disc, 4K Ultra High
Definition Blu-ray Disc combo packs and standard definition DVD sold separately
on Tuesday December 19, 2017 at retailers on and offline courtesy of Paramount
Home Entertainment.
© Copyright 2017 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
