Mother Mary asks the question we have all wondered: what if Taylor Swift were tormented by a ghost? An immersive experience that defies genre and gives audiences two riveting performances, David Lowery’s latest is a breathlessly intoxicating drama that is hard to put into words.
Anne Hathaway plays the titular character, an international pop star who shows up at her original costume designer’s home seeking a new dress—while in deep distress. What follows is an intense, dialogue-driven, and emotionally powerful drama.
That then turns into something else entirely.
Hathaway is extraordinary, showing tremendous range as she alternates between joyous performer and shattered figure. Matching her at every beat is Michaela Cole, who is searing in her statement-making delivery.
The film itself has character thanks to Lowery, whose visual and auditory talents are well-suited for the strange story at hand. From the opening scene Lowery commands your attention, and even when the movie shifts gears to two women in a room talking, the movie envelopes you in mood and tone. Lowery’s screenplay is also sublime; the actresses (there are only women on screen) elevate the material, but the material is already top-tier stuff.
Mother Mary is an extremely well made and effective film, and unlike anything you’ve seen before. Beautiful, energetic, and riveting, it’s hard to find fault with the picture. And again, it answers the age-old question: what would Taylor Swift do if tormented by a ghost?
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.