"Mother of Tears" *** (out of ****)
Finally. This is it. I've talked about Dario Argento's "Mother of Tears" on this blog for a long time. In preparation for it I've reviewed my first Argento film "The Stendhal Syndrome". I've reviewed films with Mr. Argento's daughter, Asia ("The Last Mistress", "Boarding Gate"). And now after my long wait "Mother of Tears" has come out on DVD and I have finally watched, what was for me, one of the most anticipated films of the year.
In my review for "The Stendhal Sydrome" I confessed the name Dario Argento strikes fear in my heart. His reputation as one of the great horror directors in Italian cinema intimated me. Also they said rumors that his films are ultra-violent and flooded with gore. I've since gotten over that fear. I was not afraid to watch "Mother of Tears". Having seen something previously from this director I now knew what to expect and looked forward to the experience of seeing my second Argento film.
"Mother of Tears" continues on what I noticed in my first Argento viewing experience. We have the fascination with blood. In this film the violence is turned up a notch (well maybe more than 1 notch) and the blood splatters more. But the film is the work of a born director. A director with an uncompromising vision.
The film waste no time gettting into the "swing" of the story. Our first murder happens rather early in the story and Mr. Argento never lets up. The film takes the viewer on a journey into the underworld. We plunge into the depths of the occult. I found it similar to the work of Roman Polanski in films such as "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Ninth Gate". And like those films it is not a horror film in the traditional sense. Mr. Argento's films go beyond cheap scares. I feel his work would be better classified as thrillers or psychological suspense films.
Asia Argento stars as Sarah Mandy. She works at the Rome Art Institute where an urn is delivered to her boss, Michael Pierce (Adam James). The urn was sent by a priest, who was convinced the urn once belonged to a mystical, evil spirit, he hoped Michael would confirm his suspicion. But Michael is not in his office as Sarah and a co-worker take it upon themselves to open the urn which releases the evil spirit.
Now Rome has turned into a deadly city. People become violent. Mothers kill their children. Citizens engage in other violent acts such as smashing cars and beating each other up. Suicide rates have jumped up. 52 deaths in two days. And there have been a vast amount of exorcisms reported. Has Hell found its place on Earth? Is this the end of days.
We learn the spirit was a witch, who had two sisters. The sisters have died but the third one, known as the mother of tears, is bringing a second coming of witches on Earth. Only Sarah can stop this spirit since her mother had powers which would help her communicate with the dead. It is believed Sarah has the same powers.
But what am I talking about here? The plot may sound ridiculous to many. It is strangely for that reason I enjoyed the film so much. We have entered a world where anything can happen. The film plays on our imagination. Our darkest fears are realized.
I'm not the world's most religious person but I was raised a Catholic and went to a Catholic school. Certain teachings of the church have stuck with me. I believe in exorcisms and the idea of the devil taking possession of bodies. That is why I consider films like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist" as the finest of their genre. They feed on my perception of reality. Those events could happen. That's what makes them work. "Mother of Tears" doesn't fuse religion and horror as masterfully as those films but it is in their mode. As I have said the film deals with the occult moreso then religion.
I'm always mixed on my feelings of Asia Argento. I think she has a great screen presence. She dominates the screen and that is true here yet for some reason I was a little letdown by her performance here. It didn't seem as bold as her work in "The Last Mistress" or "Boarding Gate" (both released this year as well). Her scenes are the best. The film becomes the most involving when we see her but there is a connection missing with the character. The audience should identify with her more. The character is a bit too distant. She doesn't seem to have anything personally at stake. What attempts are made I found too simplistic.
"Mother of Tears", it should be pointed out, is part of a trilogy. This is the final part. The other films were "Suspiria" and "Inferno". I have not seen these films. I have already stated, I have only seen two of Mr. Argento's films. Because of that I am not sure if I'm missing something because of that. It seems the film can stand on its own without any knowledge of the two other films. I enjoyed it.
The more important question to ask is, will others enjoy this film? Clearly if you are an Argento fan you will. You don't need me to tell you that. But for the person who has never seen an Argento film or is a casual viewer, I think the film works. Yes there is violence but I never found it to be disturbing. It never became so excessive that I had to look away. The film is a wild and exciting ride.
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