Director: Niclas Larsson
Writer: Niclas Larsson
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans, Taylor Russell
Synopsis: Three children are brought together when their mother refuses to move from a couch in a furniture store.
Family dynamics tend to be messy. It’s essentially a group of people you have no choice but to love unconditionally. It’s a difficult circumstance; if there is any faltering, it could turn into something you can’t let go of. These themes in films have been discussed for years, but more recently, thanks to filmmakers like Ari Aster, a new approach has been taken, highlighting the weirdness and absurdities of the entire situation. In his feature debut, Mother, Couch, Niclas Larsson attempts to find the weirdness in family struggles and relationships. While some moments stand out, he ultimately comes up short with little characterization, a lack of focus, and a genuine emptiness.
Mother, Couch starts with David (Ewan McGregor) walking towards a furniture store across an empty parking lot. The emptiness here is palpable and can be seen as a look into the psyche of David, but as the film continues, it becomes a significant issue for the film as a whole. In the store, he finds Bella (Taylor Russell), who works the store, and his brother Gruffudd (Rhys Ifans) as they are looking for a dresser for their elderly mother. However, their mother (Ellyn Burstyn) is upstairs on a couch, refusing to move. David attempts to remove her from the couch and the store while also dealing with issues in his family and the struggle of holding onto his mom, who is slowly fading away, all while discovering his childhood relationships might not have been what he thought.
As mentioned, this is Niclas Larsson’s first feature film. A director with only a few shorts under his belt took on a project with a hefty subject and a loaded cast. The ambition of Mother, Couch was there as the similarities to Beau is Afraid are apparent, and the influences of directors such as Ari Aster and Charlie Kaufmann are all over this film. Larsson attempts to tell this story with the same zany, confusing, and sometimes horrifying style that the previous directors have spent so much time perfecting over their careers. The issue is that those other directors have made a career on confusing and wacky styles while always keeping the focus clear and concise. Even in their most eccentric work, there is an understanding and a journey; where Mother, Couch falters the most is in telling that journey. Most of the film felt odd for the sake of being weird; there wasn’t much to grasp, and even the film’s main character, David, wasn’t provided enough depth to stick out.
Not sticking out seemed impossible when you look at the cast’s star power, including Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans, Ellyn Burstyn, Taylor Russell, and F. Murray Abraham (playing two roles). All these performers have proven how much of a presence they can be on screen over their long or short careers. However, aside from brief moments from Ewan McGregor in this film, all actors seemingly give one-note performances. I don’t think it is the actors themselves, but the script does not allow any of them the chance to bring any sort of emotional depth. One of the significant throughlines of the film is the lack of relationship between the siblings, and the significant emotional payoff in the end comes from that lack of relationship. However, this theme is only referenced throughout and, like most of the performances, is never given the time to flesh it out into a real thought-provoking idea.
In the third act, Mother, Couch finally shines, and Larsson’s script and directing feel most comfortable in its weirdness. The moments make sense, and the performance given by Ewan McGregor becomes highly emotional and deep. The film’s themes are realized and explored in highly original and thought-provoking ways. David’s relationship with his mother has been a strain on him for his entire life and is now affecting the relationship he has with his wife and children. This sense of letting go that he must endure is nuanced, and the subtle choices that Larsson makes might be on the nose, but they finally work within the film. There is a good film from this director, maybe great, but it would be better if he continues to learn from the highs of Mother, Couch, as they just sadly came too late in the film.
Ewan McGregor’s performance and Christopher Bear’s score highlight what could have been original and worthwhile. I appreciate Niclas Larsson’s ambition in his debut feature, while Mother, Couch falls just short due to its lack of focus and emptiness in terms of themes. The solid third act saved this film from being an utter mess. This potential for greatness in Larsson’s work excites me and leaves me hopeful and optimistic for what’s to come.
