A tough woman figure
> Michelle Pfeiffer tackles the pivotal role as one-half of a mysterious couple in Darren Aronofsky’s mother! that has drawn mixed reviews
involved in this performance.
“Doing the pre-production and rehearsal this way, I found it exhilarating and challenging.
“I can’t think of anything that really comes close to (an experience like) this except when I worked with (director Robert) Zemeckis. He, like Darren, really uses the camera.
“I realised early on that I had to approach this like a dancer – it’s all about the movement with the camera.”
This production had a very different birthing process. Is it true that during the monthslong rehearsal in the Brooklyn warehouse, Aronofsky filmed the entire movie on his iPhone? How was that for you? “Oh, the iPhone. Yes, I found it very creepy and really intrusive. You catch people doing this on sets, trying to record without you knowing.
“But I’m always – ‘I see what you did’. There’s probably an entire version of this film on his cell phone floating out there somewhere.
“But no, I didn’t like it and neither did Ed (Harris).”
What can you tell us about your character and why she plays such a pivotal role in the story? “Well, I would say my character is very predictable in some ways. It was about finding a balance between being off-putting and charming.
“She is a woman who is committed to and cares about her husband. He is on this crazy journey and she supports him in that.
“On one hand, she creates doubt in the way Jennifer’s character is accepting of certain ways that she’s living her life and the sacrifices she’s making.
“I think she represents a power and sexuality that Jennifer’s character is not in touch with. She’s tough.”
In some ways, the woman is like a dark prophet for mother. It is she who tells Mother: ‘You give and you give and you give: It’s just never enough.’ How does your character force Mother to look at her marriage and her life? “Here is this middle-aged couple very much in love, sexually active and in a way they are very youthful. She (Woman) awakens something in Jennifer (Mother).”
You have said you had a visceral reaction to seeing the film. Why? “Jennifer’s performance is so powerful. I think what happens to her, to this mother and child is so upsetting.
“I think, being a mother, it is pretty hard to react to this any other way.”
What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing this film? “I think everybody is going to have a completely different reaction. There will be wildly different interpretations of this film.
“I saw Black Swan three different times and each time I saw something different.” engaging, I wanted the audience to relate what is happening in the farm to whatever that is happening outside it,” says Karthik.
He also points out that it is through the police that we learn the heroine is one of many girls who has been kidnapped.
Karthik’s efforts may not be everyone’s cup of tea and The Farm does have a few flaws, but it also has a lot of positives, one of which is Jaya’s commendable performance as the terrorised heroine. – S. Indra Sathiabalan