Review: Parallel Mothers Reminds Us Of Great Film Collaborations

By Megan Bianco, Times of San Diego

January 30, 2022

Only two years after collaborating on their sixth film together, Pain and Glory (2019), legendary Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar and his favorite muse and actress, Penélope Cruz, are back again for their seventh project, Parallel Mothers.

Like fellow respected gay writers Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, Almodóvar somehow has an equal knack for coining realistic, complicated women as much as complicated men. Part of it is his talent and craft, and another is his trust and chemistry with the actresses he works with, such as Cruz. Their modern classic, Volver (2006) remains one of my favorite films, and Parallel Mothers proves that over two decades into their artistic partnership, they’ve still got it.

In modern day Madrid, 40-year-old Janis (Cruz) and 17-year-old Ana (Milena Smit) give birth at the exact same time while sharing the same hospital room. Both women’s pregnancies were unplanned and outside of relationships, with Janis happy to suddenly become a mother, while Ana is more cautious.

When the father of Janis’ baby, Arturo (Israel Elejalde), starts to notice daughter Cecilia doesn’t share any resemblance to either himself or Janis, the latter secretly takes a paternity test and is shocked to discover a secret that involves Ana.

Spanish stars Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Rossy de Palma and Julieta Serrano co-star in the film.

Parallel Mothers is the second psychological melodrama to be released recently that is a quasi-cautionary tale on motherhood, following Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, which doesn’t necessarily shun the concept.

At first Mothers is a unique ode to single motherhood, as well as to women who choose to have a baby later in life. But then the film quickly moves into the usual crazy, over-the-top, yet well-executed antics Almodóvar is famous for.

Cruz truly is at her most comfortable and effortless while directed by the fellow Spaniard, and doesn’t disappoint here. It’s also wild to think the actress was actually closer to 50 during filming, yet still looks like she can pass for late 30s.

Smit is good as the younger mother, but once again, I’m baffled how a contemporary release features a pairing with a prominent age gap that includes a teenager. I don’t understand why this trope is returning.

Besides that, Parallel Mothers features exceptional direction, acting, character and plot development, and Almodóvar’s usual message and lesson on obscure Spanish history that relates to the story. If you’re running out of award contenders for this season, and still in the mood for quality screen drama, Parallel Mothers might be for you.

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