This Penélope Cruz 2021 Drama With 96% on RT Deserves Your Full Attention


This Penélope Cruz 2021 Drama With 96% on RT Deserves Your Full Attention

There aren't many filmmakers living today who are as consistent as Pedro Almodóvar, who has released at least one film hailed as a masterpiece within every decade since the 1980s. Although he was praised for his recent work on the melodrama The Room Next Door and the western short film Strange Way of Life, Almodóvar made his masterpiece of the 2020s with the psychological drama Parallel Mothers, which reunited him with his frequent star Penélope Cruz. Almodóvar and Cruz have worked together on All About My Mother, Volver, Pain & Glory, Broken Embraces, Live Flesh, and I'm So Excited, and have developed a creative partnership similar to that of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese, or Bong Joon Ho and Song Kang-ho.

Almodóvar has such a consistently excellent track record that it is often hard for his new films to stand out, given the tremendous expectations that they are faced with. Parallel Mothers received two nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Cruz, but it was strangely not submitted by Spain for consideration as Best International Feature, and didn't earn recognition in major categories like Picture, Director, and Original Screenplay. Parallel Mothers may start with a somewhat familiar premise, but it soon becomes a more thought-provoking meditation on the value of life and the importance of remembering the past.

What Is 'Parallel Mothers' About? Close

As its title would suggest, Parallel Mothers is the story of two women who give birth at the same time and develop an unusual relationship as a result. Cruz stars as the highly respected photographer Janis Martínez, who becomes pregnant after having an affair with the forensic archaeologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde). Despite his hesitations, Janis decides to go through with the pregnancy, despite being obligated to work on a photoshoot involving mass graves that were dug during the Spanish Civil War. It is while at the hospital that Janis meets the single teen mother Ana (Milena Smit), who was forced to give birth by her father, even though her pregnancy was the result of a sexual assault. Janis and Anas' lives become intertwined when they realize they took home the wrong children. Janis had actually been raising Ana's daughter, Cecilia, and Ana had been left to care for Janis' daughter, Anita.

Even though the basic premise may seem like the sort of saccharine storyline that would appear on a network television show, Parallel Mothers proves to be a powerful story about nature and nurture. The dynamic between Janis and Ana is a complex examination of class, age, and economic divisions, as their strengths as mothers are determined by the resources that they have to provide for themselves. Janis believes that as a photographer, she is obligated to document history to ensure that the atrocities of the past are not repeated; however, she struggles to apply that same argument to her own life, as she wonders if saving Ana's knowledge of what happened could make her life easier. Janis also reflects upon the fact that they are both individuals who are forced to be responsible for themselves, even if it was because of different circumstances; while Janis had the clout to have an independent career in which she was able to raise a child on her own, Ana was forced by factors outside of her control to be a single mother, even if she doesn't entirely feel grown up.

'Parallel Mothers' Is a Moving Reflection on Mortality

It is not unusual for Almodóvar to draw from his own life and culture when coming up with his stories, as Pain & Glory was inspired by some real experiences with illness. Parallel Mothers is a profound exploration of generational trauma, as it is amidst her ongoing sexual relationship with Ana that Janis begins to learn more about the devastating war that she has been photographing. By seeing the horrific circumstances endured by her people, Janis is empowered to be grateful for the privileges that she has and begins thinking about how she would want to be remembered. The many generations that have passed since the war do not make it any less tragic, as the film ends with a heartbreaking sequence in which people come to mourn their ancestors after the mass graves are uncovered. However, Janis realizes that both taking account of her loss and helping Ana shape her family will allow them both to heal and allow them to ensure that they will be remembered.

Although it deals with topics regarding sexual abuse, economic stress, and the ramifications of war and genocide, Parallel Mothers is still a very watchable film based on the excellent chemistry between its stars. Almodóvar has a unique way of creating poetic, lightly comical dialogue for his characters, as his style of writing is just as instantly identifiable as other acclaimed filmmakers, such as Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, or Richard Linklater. Parallel Mothers is a great film for those unfamiliar with the bulk of Almodóvar's work, as it shows how wildly his stories can fluctuate in terms of tone. However, those who have loved his entire career may find that Parallel Mothers serves as a continuation and maturation of the themes that he has always been interested in.

Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Like Follow Followed Parallel Mothers R Drama Release Date October 8, 2021 Runtime 123 minutes Director Pedro Almodovar Cast See All Penélope Cruz Janis Milena Smit Ana Israel Elejalde Arturo Aitana Sánchez-Gijón Teresa Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming

Writers Pedro Almodóvar Producers Agustín Almodóvar Powered by Expand Collapse

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