Mother, Couch Review: Ewan McGregor Stars In One Of The Strangest Films Of The Year [TIFF 2023] - /Film

Mother, Couch Review: Ewan McGregor Stars In One Of The Strangest Films Of The Year [TIFF 2023] - /Film,Mother, Couch, starring Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, is a hazy dreamlike blast of chaos that proves to be irresistible. Here's our TIFF review.

Mother, Couch Review: Ewan McGregor Stars In One Of The Strangest Films Of The Year [TIFF 2023] – /Film

One of the great joys of a film festival is poring through the film program to see what stands out beyond the big galas and headlining premieres. Whether it’s a particularly striking still image, the right talent attached, or an intriguing concept, it’s so much fun to see what’s on offer. One such film that stood out in the packed program of the Toronto International Film Festival is “Mother, Couch,” which immediately compelled me with a single-line synopsis: “Three estranged children come together when their mother refuses to move from a couch in a furniture store.” It didn’t hurt that the cast was stacked to the nines: Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans, Lara Flynn Boyle, Taylor Russell, F. Murray Abraham, and Ellen Burstyn all feature.

The debut from Niclas Larsson, “Mother, Couch” delivers on its premise while simultaneously offering something stranger, bolder, and more dreamlike than I could have anticipated. The film opens with David (McGregor) arriving at a furniture store. Bella (Russell), an employee and daughter of the owner, is preparing to close up shop for the final time. There’s just one problem: David’s mother (Burstyn) has parked herself on a couch, and refuses to move.

Already at the store is David’s older brother Griffin (Ifans), and they soon bring in sister Linda (Boyle) into the fray. Linda is convinced her mother has completely lost her mind and wants to call 911. She’s probably onto something, but David rejects the idea, convinced that they can solve their unmoving mother problem without intervention.

David, Griffin, and Linda all have the same mother, but different fathers. Combine that with a difficult upbringing from a single mother, and the family is fractured; distant. While David is clearly way over his head, this incredibly strange situation may have unlocked an opportunity to perhaps rekindle the relationship he’s always wanted and sew the discord that’s run amok in their family.

Ellen Burstyn will blow you away

TIFF

As the mother, Burstyn delivers one of her finest performances in a career filled with brilliant ones. Her character looks fabulous, with a dreamy Hollywood-starlet blonde bob that curls upwards at the ends, and enormous, threatening black sunglasses. Her presence is undeniable — even when we only see her back, it is rigid, upright, and intense. But when Burstyn speaks it is completely arresting. She delivers a harrowing monologue that completely stuns David, as she reveals so much of her past that none of her children ever knew. Motherhood was never something she wanted, and she tells him plainly, which sends David, and everyone — and everything — else into a tailspin. She’s a complete nightmare who only gets more vicious as the film goes on, and Burstyn relishes every moment of it.

One thing that can’t be said about “Mother, Couch” is that it’s predictable. It exists in an incredibly bizarre universe unto itself that only gets stranger with each passing minute. Larsson almost feels like an amalgamation of filmmakers like Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman — and while “Mother, Couch” doesn’t reach the highs of movies like “Being John Malkovich” or “Adaptation,” its often fascinating, only occasionally lagging under the weight of its premise. It begins with such a manic and unpredictable energy that the film sags in the middle, before picking itself up with gusto and going completely off the rails in a very entertaining, confounding, and emotionally heavy way.

Larsson has announced himself as an exciting new filmmaker, and “Mother, Couch” is loaded with promise. It’s also frequently very, very funny, thanks in large part to a delightfully off-kilter performance from Taylor Russell as shopkeeper Bella. She probes and prods and unexpected times: “You all seem so broken,” she tells David with a smile on her face. Larsson has a lot of talent at his disposal — especially for a debut — but shows a great understanding of a complicated script and the actors at hand, wringing impressive performances from the entire cast. I would have loved to see more of Lara Flynn Boyle, whose Linda is abrasive and hysterical, but her screen time pales in comparison to the two brothers.

There’s a lot going on in “Mother, Couch” and it certainly tries to pack a little too much into a brief 96-minute runtime. But there’s something about this hazy dreamlike blast of chaos that proves to be irresistible. All the pieces don’t come together cohesively, and there so many thematic elements that threaten to (literally) get washed away. But “Mother, Couch” feels like a major new voice breaking through in cinema, and that’s always something to celebrate. McGregor is tasked with holding all the madness together, and his vulnerable, eccentric performance is the beating heart of this wild ride.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10