Review: "Mother Mary" puts Anne Hathaway and Michaela in a visually arresting tale of friendship and possession — with dialogue that's beneath both of them

“Mother Mary” is a stunning look at two former friends — a pop diva and her onetime costume designer — sorting through their demons, figuratively and literally. 

And if writer-director David Lowery (“The Green Knight,” “The Old Man and the Gun”) has taken one more pass through the screenplay to make the dialogue shine as brightly as the visuals, it would be an undeniable masterpiece. As it is, it’s a flawed but fascinating work.

Lowery creates a two-hander of a story, starting with the title character (played by Anne Hathaway), a pop star who fills stadiums with cheering fans, who see her command the stage in a glittering bodysuit and a headpiece that looks appropriate for a medieval depiction of the Virgin Mary.

That look, taking elements of Renaissance biblical imagery and Joan of Arc, was the creation of Mother Mary’s longtime collaborator, fashion designer Sam Anselm (played by Michaela Coel). Mary credits Sam with applying the Catholic iconography to launch her career. But they’ve been apart for more than a decade, while Sam has built up her fashion label.

So it’s a surprise when Mary shows up, unannounced, at Sam’s estate and workshop outside London, while Sam is preparing for her next runway show. Mary demands that Sam make her a dress — no, THE dress — for her comeback tour, which starts in three days. Sam reluctantly agrees, after extracting from Mary a promise that she can make the dress she wants, and Mary won’t object to it or refuse it.

Through their conversations, and the breathtaking visuals Lowery brings to bear, we get a fuller picture. Mary is vulnerable, returning to the stage after a stage accident that nearly killed her. Sam is also vulnerable, still smarting from the argument that ended their artistic and personal collaboration. And there’s something else, something apparently set loose when Mary invited a medium (played by FKA Twigs) to perform a seance after a concert — the last show before the accident.

Lowery channels the spectacle of a major pop star’s stadium show, taking cues from Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Madonna to get Mother Mary’s onstage allure. To get the sound right, he’s enlisted FKA Twigs and the team of Charli XCX and Jack Antonoff (a frequent Swift collaborator) to write Mary’s songs, which sound like they belong being chanted to thousands of adoring fans. 

Unfortunately, Lowery has saddles his stars with dialogue that feels both cryptic and cliched at the same time. One wouldn’t want the actors to say everything on their characters’ minds, but if you’re not going to be clear, at least be clever. It’s telling that some of Hathaway and Coel’s best moments are ones where they barely speak, letting their iconic and expressive faces do the work when the words are inadequate. 

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‘Mother Mary’

★★★

Opens Friday, April 24, in theaters everywhere. Rated R for some violent content and language. Running time: 112 minutes.