imperfection is perfection
Sporadic film reviews by a wanna-be filmmaker
I AM MOTHER [2019]
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a typical Netflix produced film. It is an Australian film that required a lot of effort to be made possible, and luckily it was seen by the right people at a film festival and is now a ‘Netflix’ production, now essentially a synonym for pumping out any idea pitched to them. This movie though is very different – it is an Australian film that spent a long time in production, and while not the biggest name, it features Hilary Swank that hopefully people will can recognise. She is more than a relativily big name though – she is excellent in this film. With her name attached and sitting in the sci-fi section of Netflix, the creators and Australian film lovers in general hope that this deserving Australian movie is seen worldwide.
Back to the film: An unnamed contagion has decimated the human population, and an android known as ‘Mother’ is starts its work, programmed to repopulate Earth after such an event. Locked in a fail-safe bunker, the artificially intelligent droid is responsible for thousands of human embryos. From one of these embryos, Mother begun her mission and has raised a well-mannered young teenage girl. Simply known as ‘Daughter’, she is given exams on a regular basis so Mother can assess how she is growing and evolving as a human being. After being raised inside the bunker for her entire life with a robot her only company, she finds a mouse and qujickly believes that it could be safe to go outside. Mother shoots the idea down with her calculations of the atmosphere outside, but when a women bangs on the door from the outside and the daughter can’t help but let the wounded women inside. Her relationship with Mother slowly changes as the film takes a drastic turn.
I Am Mother is an interesting and challenging sci-fi flick, commenting on artificial intelligence while in contrast also examining the human condition, both in a unique and creative way. The daughter has been raised by artificial intelligence, and arguably, by proxy, humans, who of course originally created the droid. This slight connection to humanity is apparent as she is surprisingly grounded and self-aware despite growing up in such a different and untested environment. Could AI potentially parent children, leaving the real parents to sit on deck chairs by their pool? Perhaps; Mother has done well in raising a good person, which is unsurprising given that her programming is learning how to be a mother, just like any human mother learns as she goes.
The exams the daughter has been taking are mostly scenarios in which she is given two choices, often morally difficult with no clear correct answer. Via this process, Mother is able to covertly assess how the daughter’s morals and beliefs are developing. During these tests, Mother is also learning. Mother in fact states this to the daughter at one point after one of her exams, commenting that it is learning from the tests just as much as the daughter is. It is an important scene that reminds us that Mother isn’t just a robot. Programmed with AI, it is contantly learning. Contrary to this, at one point the daughter asks Mother if she has always been in the bunker. The best answer it can muster is far from comforting.
Then tone of the film instantly changes when the woman is let into the bunker, wounded by a gunshot. Scared and losing blood, she refuses any help from Mother as she looks identical to the droid that shot her. Mother suggests that because of this, if there are other people alive, the bunker would be the safest place for them. Unsurprisingly, the women doesn’t warm to the idea.
When Mother isn’t around, the woman tells the daughter what the outside world is like, and that her wound was caused by a droid while she was trying to scavenge supplies in what seems like a horrid world. Though the way she talks of the people that she is close to obviously captures the daughters interest. It is impossible to know if she is telling the truth or not, but unsurprisingly Mother quickly realises that the woman is ‘putting ideas into her daughter’s head’ and puts an end to the two being alone together, forcing the daughter out of the room and muting the intercom.
As their conversation unfolds, the film drastically changes direction as we learn of information that we, nor the daughter, knew about. Interestingly, viewers hear this entire conversation, but the the daughter doesn’t hear a word. Unsurprisingly then, she becomes increasingly conflicted and confused: does she listen to Mother, who reminds her that it has never caused her harm, and in fact raised her from an embryo? Or does she listen to a woman who she has just met, who has described an outside world that is dangerous, but one the daughter has never experienced? It soon becomes apparent that there could be consequences for either choice.
The film cleverly tosses red herrings into the mix, keeping the viewer guessing and possibly frustrated as to what exactly is happening, and whether her decision was the right one. The final moments will take some reflection to appreciate, and those paying close attention will be amazed at the originality of the story: using AI and a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world to create a mind-bending story that is the definition of a thought provoking film.
The star of the show is certainly Mother, a perfectly designed robot that couldn’t look more realistic. It also has pitch perfect voice that never changes despite the situation. The calmness in her soft voice cuts through the darker scenes, this juxtaposition simply adding more to a tense final act in which we finally learn the truth. Or perhaps not?…
The entire film proves once more that a small budget and only three characters can result in quite an amazing film – the lack of firepower and CGI forces the writing and direction to utilise more creativity. There is no film quite like this one, its closest cousin would surely be Ex Machina, but the two are still very different. Mother also shares some similarities with HAL, and it is interesting to wonder just how much power she has over the facility. But the two could not be more different, they are just two films dealing with AI in a way that isn’t draped in the loudness of Hollywood – rather the subject is treated with the respect it deserves.
I Am Mother focuses less on action (there are two gun-shots in the entire film) and more on a scenario that, at first may seem silly, but it is something that can never be ultimately ruled out. Artificial intelligence is inherently difficult to predict and is the main reason why this is such an interesting film to watch and then think about after the extreme final scenes. A cadidate for one of the best films of the year, and certainly a film that needs to be seen more than once.
17 Comments on “I AM MOTHER [2019]”
Leave a Reply
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CINEMAAXIS
LAMB #1758
Blogs I Follow
imperfection is perfection 
Wow, high praise for this one! It sounds really interesting. I’m definitely going to see if it’s available here. I really enjoyed Ex Machina – done well AI films are able to really probe the human condition. Great review!
LikeLike
Watch it on Netflix/download it, its not even playing in theatres down here so it certainly won’t play overseas outside of a festival – and even that is a stretch
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just added it to my Netflix queue!
LikeLiked by 1 person
cool!!! I hope you like it, I think it offers much more than your average film about AI, much like Ex Machina did, though apart from those two things they are extremely different. If only more films like this existed, just the concept of AI is something I find endlessly intruiging. I read in a fantastic book (its called ‘Everything is Fucked’ haha but don’t be fooled by the title, it is a best seller for a reason) the notion of AI creating its own AI. Haha! What a crazy notion to think about!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This does sound interesting but I am coming back to work now so I won’t have the time for non essential movie watching. Also, in actuality a lot of those ‘Netflix’ films are simply something they acquired because no one else did. But the reason no one else did is usually because they are a mess, like Triple Frontier
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha, very true. Its a bit different with Aussie films though, no one acquires them cos we seem to be terrible at promotion – mostly cos of a complete lack of funding.
I am curious if The Badadook director’s new film will be seen by as many people as The Babadook did, that one really is an outlier in terms of how many eyes it reached
LikeLike
Your enthusiasm for this is infectious. I can’t wait. Have added it to my Netflix queue now, right at the top! Ex Machina was a great time, and sci fi films that dabble in the nuances of AI are really up my alley.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For once this isn’t Aussie bias on my part either! Considering the struggles it went through to get made (including an ‘in progress’ screening at last year’s film fest and a typically miserable budget), I’m happy the writer/director will get some coin for it, as well as the two leads. I want to see what he does next. And tho Swank isn’t the best actress in the world, she is awesome here, and was insanely complimentary towards the director. And he deserves such kind words imo, so I am super keen to hear what you think.
Let me know my man!! =]
LikeLiked by 1 person
What is an in-progress screening? Like, the movie wasn’t actually finished officially at the time, I guess? That’s wicked cool man! That would make me feel almost a part of the process.
Cool dude, I most certainly will!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, basically that really, with a Q&A as well. It was wicked cool indeed, bold move by the filmmakers, but it paid off I think. Our Film Festival is super supportive to local stuff and this was made in my backyard, so last year the festival actually had two of these screenings. I went to the one that had the Q&A of course 😀
So a lot of us knew about it before it came out… very rare for any Australian film.
As soon as I saw the robot and heard what the story was like, I knew I’d dig it.. though the Q&A is the best part. Pity I can’t remember anything about it, too long ago!
They actually had a Q&A for the Babadook director’s new movie too, that was super cool as well, keep an eye out for it: ‘The Nightingale’
I just really hope I Am Mother doesn’t get buried under all the crap and/or lumped in with other Netflix movies that are mostly terrible.
Sorry for the essay of a reply, I can’t seem to write efficiently atm!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have me REALLY intrigued. I admit it, I’ve liked several Netflix films but mostly those that have slid under many people’s radar. But I’ve enjoyed some of the more mainstream films as well (The Highwaymen, Triple Frontier). Have you seen “First They Killed My Father”? It’s worth a watch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m super happy to have you interested! Mixing sci-fi/AI with a dystoptian setting, with such a cool and well written story and screenplay, and what’d I’d call very assertive direction, not to mention a super cool looking robot… Mate I found this really hard to find any flaws in. Much like Parasite, I know its gonna make my top ten already.
I have not seen that flick you listed, I just looked it up… Angelina Jolie eh? I really disliked Unbroken, I’ll be honest, but I’m always open, and I almost always agree with your scores on films. I’ll check it out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep Jolie directed it and it’s based on a gripping true story. It’s tough to watch but sooo worth the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This looks different, I like different. Different to most of what I have seen anyways. And tough to watch is also what I like.
Hell, Enter The Void is one of my favourite flicks and that is 100% tough to watch!
But this is a true story. I’ll let u know what I think! You’re on twitter right? I can’t remember if you are on list or not
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am indeed. @KeithandMovies
LikeLike
Awesome review Jordan ❤️💜💛💙
LikeLiked by 1 person
The fact that the film spent a long time in production I see as a positive. Some of the other Netflix films and shows available look like they were made on a whim. Good write-up!
LikeLike