In the press notes for Mothers Day, it said quite confidently, “from the renowned director of Saw II, III and IV.” It was at that point I realised Mothers Day probably wasn’t going to be what I had initially thought it may have been. Also, renowned director?
The title, somewhat misleading given the storyline of the film – initially led me to believe I was in for a monotonous romantic drama, somehow taking place on Mothers Day. However, the film couldn’t really have been more different. It’s gory, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat nonsense.
It’s about three brothers on the run from the police following an unsuccessful bank robbery. One of which, Jonny (Matt O’Leary), has been shot and is desperately close to losing his life. The other two brothers, Ike (Patrick John Flueger) and Addley (Warren Kole), decide to take their injured sibling back to the only place they know best; their mother’s house. However, little do they know, their mother has moved home and a new couple (Jaime King and Frank Grillo) have moved in, who just happen to be having a party on this fateful night.
The premise behind the story is a good one – the idea of three convicts hiding out at a stranger’s house, keeping the new owners and their friends hostage, whilst desperately trying to avoid being caught by the police is exciting and potentially thrilling. However things just get nonsensical and absurd when the mother (Rebecca De Mornay) of the robbers turns up.
Mother Koffin (yes, that is their surname) is portraying the evil mastermind behind her three sons’ (and daughter – long story) illegal misgivings. But as she tries to protect her son from dying, and her hot-headed sons are doing everything in their power to avoid getting caught and keeping the hostages at bay, ridiculous things of epic proportions take place.
Half-way through the feature I actually thought, this film isn’t that bad. But then it just got inane and silly. I’m not entirely sure if Darren Lynn Bousman wanted the audience to find the last half an hour at all funny, but I couldn’t help myself.
Having said that, and despite its absurdity, I did quite enjoy the film. Perhaps not as the director intended - but if you take the film for what it is, a clumsy and overdramatic thriller, then it’s hard not to enjoy.
It’s non-stop action, and with exaggerated performances by all cast members, particularly that of the mother, De Mornay, who, although overacting incredibly, was actually fairly convincing as a psychotic and controlling single mother. But ultimately the film was fun. I left with a smile on my face despite feeling mentally strained, almost as if I had been through the same experiences as the characters over the course of the film.
But it’s all just a bit of harmless fun, and perhaps on a wet afternoon (shame this film has come out in the summer really…) it might not be the worst film to go and see. But just don’t expect to see a moving, gripping thriller, as you will ultimately be very disappointed.
And as for the ‘renowned director’ – well to be fair they didn’t specify exactly what he is renowned for. But after Mother’s Day, it’s all become clear, and sadly for Bousman, he isn’t exactly ‘renowned’ for making good films.
