"Mother!" meets with mixed boos, cheers at Venice Film Fest

A movie by American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky was met with mixed reactions at the 74th edition of Venice Film Festival on Tuesday.

The film, which stars Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence as main characters, runs in the main competition for the Golden Lion.

A preview screening for the press visibly left the audience divided, with many boos and few applauses at the end.

During a press conference later in the day, the director sounded unconcerned. "There are always different levels of taste regarding films," Aronofsky told reporters.

"Mother! is like a roller-coaster ride, and you jump on it only if you like going on roller coaster," he said.

The feature is a psychological horror in which Bardem plays the role of a self-absorbed poet going through a bad period of lack of inspiration, and Lawrence that of his much younger wife, who is devoted to turning her husband's ruined house into a paradisiac, yet secluded refuge of peace for them both.

The arrival of a mysterious and disquieting couple -- played by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer -- at their home would open the way to a crescendo of paranoia, tension, and, starting from the second part of the movie, of violence.

Director Aronofsky, who both wrote and directed "Mother!", is a regular at Venice Film Fest. He won the Golden Lion award in 2008 with sport drama "The Wrestler" starring Mickey Rourke.

Aronofsky premiered here again in 2010 with psychological thriller "Black Swan" as opening film, which received a standing ovation, and would later earn Nathalie Portman a Oscar as best actress in the leading role, and another four Academy Award nominations.

He also wrote and directed epic drama "Noah" starring Russell Crowe in 2014, and produced Pablo Larrain's biographical film "Jackie" on Jacqueline Kennedy in 2016.