A One Mann’s Movies review of “Parallel Mothers” (Madres Paralelas) (2022).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Penélope Cruz has appeared in 7 of Pedro Almodovar’s last 11 films. So the term “muse” most definitely applies. Given her performance in “Parallel Mothers”, it won’t be her last either.
The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles… but don’t let that put you off.
Plot Summary:
Janis (Penélope Cruz), liaising with handsome anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde) to uncover a war crime involving her great grandfather, ends up pregnant when their ‘liaising’ goes a bit far. She ends up giving birth in the hospital alongside another single mother, the teenager Ana (Milena Smit). The two women’s lives are set to intertwine in unexpected ways.
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde.
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar.
Written by: Pedro Almodóvar.
“Parallel Mothers” Review:
Positives:
- Once again, Almodóvar delivers a wonderfully stylish movie, beautifully framed and shot by his regular cinematographer José Luis Alcaine. There are wonderful slow fades between scenes where the last thing you see is the luminous face of Cruz disappearing into the darkness.
- (In the main) this is a story that I ended up being really invested in. Although you can see every twist and turn coming a mile off, the drama is still engrossing – more so for me than Almodóvar’s last feature, “Pain and Glory“.
- Penélope Cruz looks UTTERLY stunning here. Now, I got into trouble with the illustrious Mrs Movie Man in my review for “The 355” by saying that Cruz “looks astonishing, given she is in her mid-40’s” – – which sounded to her like I was damning with faint praise. That was not my intention. So, let me just say unequivocally that say Penélope Cruz IS astonishing. What beauty! What fabulous acting!
- Hats off also to Milena Smit, in only her second feature, who also has a magnetic screen presence.
Negatives:
- The whole exhumation element as the start of the film was, I thought, the device used to introduce our heroine to Arturo. He is, after all as an anthropologist, an interesting and intellectual character within the film. But having soaked us in emotion with the central drama within the movie, we get rudely dragged back into that world again for a “finale” that just didn’t fit for me. It’s like there was a completely different movie, with a “message”, bolted onto the back end.
Summary Thoughts on “Parallel Mothers”
I read this week about a Japanese drink called “Bilk”, which is a blend of 70% beer with 30% milk. Ugh! Now, don’t get me wrong. I love drinking beer. And I love drinking milk. But it doesn’t mean that I want to drink them together in the same glass.
That was the overwhelming feeling I felt coming out of this movie. Up until about 100 minutes in, my mental rating was hovering between 4.5 and 5 stars. I was engrossed and marvelling in the skill of the movie-making. But that ending soured the Bilk (sic) and dragged me back from that position.
It’s still a really interesting and engaging movie, and one I would recommend you see.
(By the way, an interesting bit of trivia I noticed on IMDB: Almodóvar has been working on this project for over a decade, evidenced by there being a poster for “Parallel Mothers” in the background of Almodóvar’s 2009 film “Broken Embraces”.)
Trailer for “Parallel Mothers”
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL6JDYkRa2g .
