Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Thanks for watching.
Chapter 2: What is the premise of the movie Mother Mary?
The surreal melodrama Mother Mary stars Anne Hathaway as a Gaga-esque pop star facing an existential crisis. And so she turns to her former costume designer and estranged friend, played by Michaela Cole, to find herself again. The movie's tagline warns us that this is not a love story and it's not a ghost story, but there is some complicated love and there might be a ghost.
So what is it exactly?
Chapter 3: How do the characters Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel reconnect?
I'm not sure about that, but at least there's one thing that's for sure. This is a visual marvel to behold. I'm Ayesha Harris, and today we're talking about Mother Mary on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR.
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Chapter 4: What themes of betrayal and reconciliation are explored in the film?
T's and C's apply.
Joining me today is NPR producer Mark Rivers. Hello, Mark.
Hey, Aisha. Thanks for having me.
Great to have you.
Chapter 5: What role does music play in the narrative of Mother Mary?
And also with us is Sydney Madden. She's a music and culture critic. Welcome back, Sydney. What's up, Aisha? Thanks for having me. Great to have you both. So Anne Hathaway plays the titular Mother Mary, a highly theatrical pop star who's at a personal and artistic crossroads.
Just a few days away from a highly anticipated comeback performance, she shows up out of the blue on the doorstep of her former bestie and costume designer, Sam. who she hasn't spoken to in years. Sam's played by Michaela Cole. Now, she wants Sam to design her look for the show, something that will feel like herself.
Will you let me do whatever I like? Yes. Will you do exactly as I say? Yes.
Chapter 6: How do the performances of the lead actors enhance the film?
And will you wear what I make?
The reunion resurfaces old wounds and forces them to confront the reasons for their fallout. And then things get spooky and really weird. And some would say maybe incomprehensible, but whatever. There are a few big concert numbers here. The songs were penned by Jack Antonoff, Charlie XCX. She's everywhere in the movies lately. And FKH Wigs, who has a small but notable role here.
David Lowery directed. He previously made The Green Knight and A Ghost Story. And Mother Mary is in theaters now. Sydney, I'm going to start with you, especially curious to hear about your music thoughts. But first, tell us how you felt about what this movie was doing, trying to do whatever this is.
I mean, trying to do, it's a lot. It's a lot.
Chapter 7: What visual elements make Mother Mary a unique cinematic experience?
There's a lot going on in this movie. Some of it is really great and some of it is pretty mid. And I'm not even going to say extra and too much. Some of it is just unnecessary, to be honest. I haven't been torn over a movie like this in a minute because of... all the competing narratives, to be quite honest. It's too much neck to quita in a few key spots.
I went in personally thinking it was going to be a fashion and music film, which are psychological and cultural touch points that I'm always looking at. But then when it switches, I understand it, but it doesn't entertain me, if that makes sense. I want to get to the great parts first. The great part is...
is Michaela Cole and Anne Hathaway sparring, going back to back, line for line, bar for bar in here. The tension between them is just so magnetic and spine-tingling and funny that that really is what keeps you engaged for a very long time. There's points when Michaela Cole playing Sam, the designer, you think she's going to start to forgive, and then she pulls all the way back.
And it's like you're getting an eye into ā
Chapter 8: How does the film address the dynamics of pop stardom and artistry?
the really deepest wounds and the deepest parts of their fight. Even when they're kind of not even saying that much, to be honest.
They were doing a lot of not saying what these wounds were.
They were doing a lot of not saying, but the tight shots of them not saying and even the expression on their face, the emotiveness on their face. And I think there was something in the press notes about how this actually started in David Lowery's mind as just a static scene between two characters that represent two parts of his own consciousness that were warring against each other.
But the majority of that tension ultimately fizzles away for me when they get to the turn that the source of the betrayal is just that Anne Hathaway's pop star character dropped Sam as a stylist and a designer. Like, girl, I get that hurts. I get that's a betrayal, but that's also the business. Like, get over it, right? Yeah.
Yeah. Well, so here's my thing. It wasn't clear to me that Mother Mary had dropped Sam specifically. What I thought happened is that they had a falling out. Maybe she did drop her. But the impetus for that was the fact that Sam was not getting credit for her work with Mother Mary. And to me, that is a much thornier and sort of layered sort of betrayal than just dropping her because
When I think about at least the way in recent years we're now suddenly inundated by these stylists who are working alongside usually actresses, but also pop stars and whatever. I think especially of Law Roach and Zendaya. That was in the back of my mind a lot while watching this movie. And when you add in the layer here that you have a white pop star who's being styled by a Black woman...
And that Black woman is not getting credit for her Vogue shoot. She says at one point, like, you didn't give me credit. And so that, to me, felt a little bit more like, oh, I can understand why Stan would be really upset about this. Like, because there is this sense of, like, I made you. Or, like, it's not just you. I have put you on the map. Am I misreading? Like, Mark, I'm curious, like...
Did you see that at all?
I think that's a totally reasonable read to take because the movie, to me, just was giving you so little. So you had to kind of... You had to build it for yourself. Take whatever kernel you could get and take something out of it. I was really surprised at just how bored I was by a lot of it. And this is a filmmaker that I've liked in the past.
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