Harper's Review

  "Mother!" Please insert warranted expletive here.  I want to start this review by saying I am extremely grateful for the way that Darren Aronofsky's films have continually challenged my ways of thinking, as well as my palate for film.  In that sense, I appreciated this movie very much.  That being said, I can not say that I would recommend this film to anyone.  It was a good film, filled with strong metaphors about religion with Aronofsky's noted challenges towards Christianity.  It was very difficult to watch however because the first half was very slow, followed by a strong second half, which was extremely appalling.    "Mother" is a film that follows a writer with no name (often referred to as Him, or The Poet) and his wife as they move to a new home and start a family.  Javier Bardem plays the lead; a caring and passionate man who wants to make his wife happy.  Jennifer Lawrence plays the the role of his wife, and who is essentially t

  "Ramen Heads" is a documentary that begins by following Japan's top ramen chef Osamu Tomita, and his obsession for creating the best ramen in Japan.  Delving into the daily grind of his restaurant, Tomita takes us through the process he uses to make, what has become known as, the best ramen in Japan.  Tomita notes that while most restaurants hide their traditions and recipes, he flaunts them proudly because, "there is nothing special about how it's made."  By simply using many great ingredients in his broths, and stewing them for up to three days, he delivers award-winning flavor daily.  His commitment to the selection of ingredients used in making the noodles, as well as the process he implements is just as laborious and critical to his award-winning ramen.  By the end of this documentary, Tomita will have won Japan's "Top Ramen Chef" award, with no indication of slowing down.   As the film reaches the halway mark, we are then introduce