Parallel Mothers

Two women put in the same room in a hospital during labour form a friendship. One is a successful photographer the other is a lonely ignored single child of a famous actress.

Janice is also trying to get the mass grave of her great grandfather exhumed but the Spanish civil war historical memory law is making that difficult.

This is a great movie of complex situations and how two women have to deal with the realities of the cards life has dealt them.

Penelope Cruz is up for an Oscar for this role, in my mind well deserved.

This film needs to be watched a few times to make sense of the deep themes in this theme. It has a similar weight and depth to previous films of his such as Volver. The concept of origins, birth and death, uncovering hidden histories and the difficulty of living with a questionable legacy.

It seems to ask questions of contemporary Spain and serves as a snapshot of the national mood. How does it come to terms with its difficult history while still living in the present era? A thought-provoking and emotionally powerful film shot in his signature style.

Greetings again from the darkness. As a devoted follower of films by Almodovar for more than 35 years, I still find myself enchanted by his stories, his visuals, his characters, and his consistency in writing complex and engaging parts for women. Oscar winning writer-director Pedro Almodovar's last film, PAIN AND GLORY (2019) may be considered his semi-autobiographical masterpiece, but this latest proves he still has much to say, and will do so with his customary flair.

I often write about a filmmaker 'delivering' a film, and in this case, Almodovar literally serves up dueling deliveries in the maternity ward. The births are edited for a bit of comedic relief, but the sequence also makes the all-important point about the connection between the two mothers. Oscar winner Penelope Cruz stars as Janis, a woman pushing 40 who has a fling with married Arturo (Israel Elejalde). He's the forensic archeologist working on the project to excavate a mass grave from the Spanish Civil War rumored to hold the remains of relatives of Janis, as well as others from the community.

While awaiting the birth of her child, Janis meets her roommate Ana (a terrific Milena Smit), a 17-year-old who is much less thrilled than Janis at the thought of becoming a mother. The two women of different ages, different attitudes, and different, yet similar, situations give birth on the same day at the same time - each becoming a single mother. The exhausted women have no clue of what is to cause their lives to become intertwined and push the story forward. While in recovery, we are introduced to each women's support. Janis' lifelong friend Elena (played by Almodovar favorite Rossy de Palma) bursts into the room (and onto the screen) in a flash of color and smile. On the other side, Ana's narcissist mother Teresa (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) immediately begins recounting her latest audition, which could lead to the big break in her acting career. As an afterthought, she then asks about the babies. We learn so much in these few minutes.

This becomes the story of the two women and their babies, yet always hovering is a story about the history of the country, and the families affected by the Spanish Civil War atrocities. The story structure isn't seamless, but then neither is life ... especially of those impacted. Past and present have unbreakable links, as do the generations of strong females who carried on. As Janis pursues the archaeological dig, we contrast that with the self-centered Teresa who states, "I'm apolitical. My job is to please everyone." Of course, by the end, Janis, Ana, and Teresa have all grown as people after facing morally challenging dilemmas.

This is Penelope Cruz's 8th Almodovar film, and, to no one's surprise, she excels in the role of Janis. It's unfortunate that very few actors receive Oscar recognition for Foreign Language films because her work stands with that of any actor this year. Almodovar is a master, and proves time and again that melodrama is not a taboo approach to storytelling when handled properly. On display throughout is his trademark use of color - in clothes, cars, art, and yes, the hospital room. Even his closing credits are stylish. Frequent Almodovar collaborators include Production designer Antxon Gomez, composer Alberto Iglesias (heavy on the strings), and cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine ... and what a team they make. The film can be viewed as a tribute to (and reminder of) the history of Almodovar's beloved Spain. He even includes a fitting quote, "History refuses to shut its mouth", something he works to ensure.

Opens in select theaters on January 14, 2022.

Parallel Mothers

This was not one of Almodovar's finest movies, the characters were superficial and lacked any sort of emotional intelligence, in fact they were verging on caricatures of human beings.

The plot was quite bizarre lacking any heft, something about a genetic legacy and not being able to deny history. The plot took a wrong turn when it fixated about the paternity for one baby but the other baby "oh it looks like my grandmother", was sufficient.

The dialogue skated on the surface and we had some strange scenes to titillate the viewer, I wasn't convinced. Had it not been for the fabulous Penelope Cruz who threw her all into the project this would've been a Spanish turkey.

I'm giving this a weak 6 outta 10, meaning if you are an Almodovar fan you have to see it.

Madres Paralelas is a Spanish movie, telling the story of two women that give birth at the same time, and the way that their lives connect after this seemingly innocent event.

The movie clearly approaches a political / historical topic in Spain which I have to be honest I wasn't familiar with, and for that sake alone I am glad I got to see it and be familiar with the topic. I see some of the criticism towards the film stems with the fact that the director could've explore this topic deeper due to its serious nature, however for me personally not knowing the reality I liked the parallelism between the issue and what the main character went through in her personal life.

It seems clear the message of wishing to preserve the truth of her lineage and live by her own values - it's ultimately a story not only about motherhood but also how our deepest values can have great impact in some of our most critical decisions in life.

Penélope Cruz gives a strong performance and the movie while not ground breaking has an interesting story and contrary to what I have heard not at all predictable. You might say it's a very unlikely situation and of course as in all films a dramatized plot, however not impossible to happen and it serves the purpose of the message.

With this being, for me, one of the worst Academy Award season in terms of movie quality I found this one a good watch!