'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother' Review: A Soulful And Visceral Knockout
Mahershala ali and director Bassam Tariq team up for Amazon’s ‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’, a soulful and visceral knockout with a sharp blade and plenty on its mind.
‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’ centers on a devoutly Muslim hitman named Latif (Mahershala Ali), who after his wife unfortunately passes away, must try to balance fatherhood and his violent work as he must protect his family from outside forces, causing him to reconcile his faith as the walls begin to close in around him. Joining Ali in this impressive cast is Giancarlo Esposito, Tramell Tillman, Adia, Jahleel Kamara, Abubakr Ali and John Cho as a villainous Texas pastor with violent tendencies.
After Marvel’s failed attempt at producing a Blade film, director Bassam Tariq and Ali are finally able to collaborate here and the results are staggeringly good. This is a thriller that has far more to contemplate than most entries into the genre, the two of them proving to be a dynamite combo. Tariq’s direction and writing are superb, navigating Latif’s story with a deft hand as he interweaves Muslim culture naturally and passionately into the central narrative, never remotely coming across as preachy or heavy-handed. His direction, coupled with the luscious cinematography from DP Katelin Arizmendi makes for a wholly enveloping atmosphere and film overall. His focus is always centered on character rather than bloodshed, a choice that lends exceedingly well to the material without dulling the Latif’s blade once it strikes. Speaking of the set pieces, they’re palpably visceral, grounded and emotionally charged, Tariq able to ramp up and sustain tension and suspense throughout as Latif’s attempts to protect his family from violence become increasingly more dire.
The performances are phenomenal across the board as well. Ali is given a role that is extremely well-suited for his considerable talents, a meaty part that lets him not only showcase an impressive physicality, but his seemingly effortless emotional gravitas as well. He handles Latif’s arduous and spiritually challenging journey with care and plenty of heart, always a magnetic and emotionally compelling presence on screen. Ali could easily be an action star if he chose to be, but he intelligently has chosen to pick parts that show the full gamut of his range as a performer, skills that are fully on display here. Latif is a character that the audience can quickly become emotionally invested in and that is due in large part to Ali’s terrific, well-balanced performance.
The supporting performances are equally as strong. The central family dynamic between Latif and his children is incredibly engaging, the performances from Kamara and Adia meeting Ali at his level. Adia is a notable standout, exploring the prickly, but loving relationship with Fatiha’s father in a way that is deeply moving and heartfelt. Her and Ali bring out the very best in one another and some of the film’s strongest scenes involve their relationship being truly put to the test. However, the film’s secret weapon is Cho as Pastor Hwan, who colors outside his usual lines to portray a pastor who hides behind religion to justify his violent actions. Cho is as terrifying as he is fascinating in the role, showing shades of his talents that have yet to be seen. He has terrific chemistry with Ali as their paths cross and the inevitable conflict develops between them. The film also does an effective job showing how these two men, while on opposing sides, share more similarities than they realize.
Audiences expecting an non-stop, adrenaline-fueled action thriller should firmly plant their expectations at the door because though this film has its fair share of propulsive set pieces, this is a far more of a contemplative and moody drama, a superb one at that. Tariq’s screenplay does a fantastic job fleshing out all of the core characters, especially Latif and his family, not only through powerful flashbacks, but through their lived-in dynamic. He manages to weave the Muslim religion and culture organically into the story, not only making the faith highly accessible, but having it play a crucial role as Latif reconciles his faith with his harrowing, violent that continuously puts himself and his family in harm’s way. In another writer/director’s hands, this story could’ve easily been too surface level or hollow for its own good, but with Tariq at the helm, this tale packs a potent emotional punch.
However, the film does suffer from some minor hindrances that hold it back quite a bit. First and foremost, the pacing of the film can be sluggish and far too stop and go. As a result, its momentum never feels consistent or steady, resulting in an experience that can feel bloated and a bit too long in the tooth. Also not helping matters is the film’s third act, which certainly brings the spiritual nature of the story to its fever pitch, but never fully follows through on the fiery build up and potential leading into Latif’s final confrontation with Pastor Hwan. The pieces were meticulously put into the place and the stage was set, but the resolution to the story didn’t quite stick the landing, resulting in more puzzling questions than satisfying ends.
‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’ is one of the most unique and emotionally compelling films of the year, not only sporting yet another phenomenal performance from Ali, but cementing Tariq as a writer and storyteller to watch. Audiences may head to the theater to see Ali wield the blade, but they’ll be met with a film that is far more than an entertaining, well-made thriller and leave with far more to chew on and digest once the credits roll.