At a maternity ward, two expecting mothers (Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit) strike up a connection; some time later, one of them finds reason to do a maternity test… Pedro Almodóvar returns to themes he has explored in the past, especially the role of motherhood, as we follow the evolving relationship between a woman who takes one last chance to become a mother and a teenager who isn’t really prepared to have a child. Family bonds through generations are addressed in the shape of a subplot detailing the excavation of mass graves from the Spanish Civil War. Cruz’s performance, a superb score and a memorably moving, low-key finale are among assets.
2021-Spain. 120 min. Color. Produced by Pedro AlmodĂłvar, AgustĂn AlmodĂłvar, Esther GarcĂa. Written and directed by Pedro AlmodĂłvar. Music: Alberto Iglesias. Cast: PenĂ©lope Cruz (Janis MartĂnez Moreno), Milena Smit (Ana Manso Ferreras), Israel Elejalde (Arturo), Aitana Sánchez-GijĂłn, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma.
Trivia: Original title: Madres paralelas.
Venice: Best Actress (Cruz).
Last word: “This was actually a difficult role for PĂ©nelope. I have a very deep relationship [with her] as a friend and as a director, and I have a lot of faith in the fact that she’s going to give me everything I ask for and everything I need in order to be able to fully inhabit the character. This particular character was not a natural one for her to play. PĂ©nelope is a very different kind of mother. In fact, she had a really hard time arriving at and being able to come into contact with the more conflicted and guilt-ridden areas of the character.” (AlmodĂłvar, Slant Magazine)
