David Lowery’s “Mother Mary”
Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald
Two women argue in a cavernous dark studio about a dress. The dress is needed by one (Anne Hathaway) for a comeback show she plans after being away from her meteoric world-spanning pop stardom. The other (Michaela Coel) is her former friend (lover?) and designer, still wary and resentful after a falling out years ago.
Their discussion is peppered with glimpses of the singer’s past performances and the pair’s emotional interactions. The relentless forward momentum portrayed in the movie centers on the dress under discussion, what it will look like, and what it will consist of. The dress as metaphor for the characters’ emotional states is obvious.
Viewers should be warned: this is an unusual film. Sometimes it’s referred to in the media as an “art film,” and at other times as a “queer film.” The conversations between the two leads are alternately catty, profound, tearful, cryptic, emotional, and metaphorical. Many tears — and some blood — are shed. All occur against a backdrop of gorgeous cinematography, pounding pop music productions reminiscent of Dua Lipa’s Mexico City 2025 concert, and often hallucinatory sequences that beg to be seen on a large screen.
I haven’t seen a lot of movies that focus on clothesmaking (Phantom Thread, The Outfit, Edna Mode in The Incredibles, and The Dressmaker come to mind) but this one is definitely the most unusual.
Anne Hathaway’s performances of the soundtrack’s numerous songs are terrific, especially since the last movie I saw her in was the straightforward The End of Oak Street. Michaela Coel’s combination of raw emotion and concealed fury is exceptional. Watching two such different character personalities play off each other is engrossing.
Fantasy elements occasionally take center stage. If you’re just looking for a soap opera, look elsewhere. If you enjoy raw emotion punctuated by occasional visual and emotional extravagance unconstrained by rationality, Mother Mary will definitely scratch that itch!
Review Copyright 2026 by Dennis D. McDonald
