Ma ma

"Ma ma" is a very good film that deals with universal issues regarding life, death, and illness, thus it is relatable, important, and moving though necessarily sad at times. I especially liked the song toward the end. It is an honest heartfelt movie anchored by another terrific performance by Penelope Cruz. I would recommend. My rating: 8/10.

It bears mentioning that there are many critics and viewers alike who have criticized the film for being melodramatic and maudlin. I would counter that in fact the film is realistic. If you have had the misfortune of being impacted by cancer let alone an advanced stage cancer or if you have lost a loved one to cancer, then you very well know, the whole thing is a tragedy and it's sad and sentimental. This desire to remove the elements of humanity that we find it taboo to express is stupid and counterproductive. Cancer is sad and it's tragic and there are infinite ways to convey this but this film is no more sentimental or tragic than dying from or losing someone you love from cancer. You want a dry unsentimental look at cancer? Head on over to WebMd. You want an honest portrayal of a woman who has to come to terms with her mortality? Press play.

"Magda" (Penélope Cruz) is separated from the father of their son "Dani" (Teo Planell) and has just lost her seasonal teaching job as she continues to juggle the responsibilities of parenting and living. Then a bombshell arrives in the form of breast cancer and her world is turned upside down. Fortunately, though, she encounters "Arturo" (Luis Tosar) at one of her son's less successful football matches and it turns out he's not only an interested scout, but is also facing cancer-related issues of his own. Gradually they bond and she has a mastectomy but despite the best efforts of her doctor (Asier Etxeandia) it metastasises and just as they celebrate her pregnancy, they have to face a prognosis that both they and the young "Dani" have to come to terms with. It's the latter stages of the film that once again confirms Cruz as a versatile and emotive actor. She portrays a woman who, despite her own ghastly predicament, is determined that her young lad will continue to enjoy a loving and stable family life, that he will never feel jealous of the new arrival and given the now inevitable denouement, she carries that off without becoming sentimental or gloopy. Teo Planell also delivers strongly too and director Julio Medem resists any temptation to turn this into a melodrama, but rather lets three actors play this out in a poignant, sometimes also quite lightly comedic fashion. In the end, this topic has hit the screens often enough before, but there is something touching and real about this film that's worth a watch.

Boo hoo hoo right from the start until the very last scene,this is a tearjerker that gives your tears no respite. Even bald, Penelope Cruz is stunningly beautiful and only gets more beautiful not to mention more saintlike as she nears death. I just want to know one thing -- where can I find a singing doctor? They barely even talk to me. And what about one that comes to visit me at the sea shore and performs a medical exam in the water! Did he swipe the medicare card for all of this? Still, the movie was watchable even if you had to scold yourself for falling for this relentless bathos. Now that it is over, gotta question myself.

Not quite sure about the negative reviews completely tearing this one up as "unrealistic"... You all can't stand the idea of someone going through a disease without watching them in total misery? Not everyone's experience is the same, this was such a beautiful story to me. Never once did I think, "Wow, this is what all cancer patients must go through". My mother went through cancer as well. And no, I don't wish to see every portrayal of it with the protagonist suffering 24/7. Penelope Cruz is excellent, I loved this.