Parallel Mothers

Occupies the odd middle ground of being overly ambitious and too facile – for the most part, a hoary old melodramatic plot in dress clothes, with story twists that wouldn’t be out of place on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, elevated by Cruz and Smit's conviction. Probably counts as a minor spoiler to say the finale’s abrupt shift into a consideration of historical genocide makes the earlier material seem even more cheap and superficial, a trend echoing back to Almodovar’s early work.

This is my second Almodovar film, and now I need the set designer to help design my place. The colours are a feast for my eyes. This film manages to be so casual about its melodrama.

For me, Almodóvar uses melodrama more tactfully than any other director working today. This is a beautifully realized film about the necessity of resolving the truths of the past to properly clarify and structure our future.

Almodóvar’s mode of shooting his actors in cleanly lit daytime soap sets, with each line delivered with the utmost importance and pathos, is not my favorite style. I'm dreading this stickiness every time. Here there is a historical frame of murdered and broken families to give meaning to the ridiculous switched-at-birth story, and with the continual examples of the importance of blood and family this almost succeeds. The convictions and feelings on display almost subdue their contrivance.

Me parece que a ascensão da extrema direita no mundo impeliu o Almodóvar a literalmente mostrar os esqueletos no armário do fascismo e acho que a sutileza deve mesmo ser deixada de lado no momento em que estamos vivendo, porque mais do que nunca precisamos defender o óbvio que não é tão óbvio para muita gente. WEBRip no MakingOff.

The political angle was extremely clumsy and heavy-handed -unless you agree, I guess-, and the auteur's usual high pitched tense melodrama is subpar, but thespians are well observed and of course you can trust Almodovar to put things together well.

The pleasures here are primarily surface (sets, colors), with the intertwining stories of mothers/children + Franco's genocide seemingly two different movies. Clearly, Almodovar is trying to connect them, but tonally, the two threads never feel like they are the same movie. This removes the weight and emotional import from both, the first feeling more like a poorly conceived soap opera with all the plot points but none of the feeling, the second a dusty and skeletal relic from the distant past.

I'm not the biggest fan of Almodovar, but this was quite good. Visually it's very strong, as his films usually are. The story is interesting and it would make a good double with Kore-eda's "Like father..". It also provided some surprises to keep things interesting. Cruz was really good in her role, and so was newcomer Smit who reminded me of young Patricia Arquette. IMO the grave story line could have been dropped, but I understand that the impact might vary especially for Spanish viewers.

On memory as a living entity both in the past and present, defining our every day lives in ways we can't quite define. Gotta love Almodóvar's fashion to fuse politics, history, melodrama and motherhood in one single powerful drama, about the living and the dead we photograph, the lives we only know by memory and the dead we still have to bury.

A sad story that covers a couple of difficult topics.

Simultaneously one of Almodóvar's more subtle films and one of his more dramatic ones.

Almodovar running on autopilot is still better than the vast majority of filmmakers. My review was going to be “*chef’s kiss* that’s-a mass-a grave!” but then I remembered this movie is Spanish and not Italian

Viewed January 17, 2022. In the way the central relationship alternates between familial love and sexual tension, Almodovar introduces a bit of his earlier, more transgressive mentality into the refined style of his later works. The sequence set to Janis Joplin is particularly great. His use of color has become more subtle, his emotions more muted and tempered, but his clear-eyed love for his characters never wavers.

Solid mid tier Almodovar, you will know by now if this is for you or not. It's all quite mellow and does not live up to its poster.

In Almodóvarʼs better films the soap is scented with the slight irony it needs, but here you get the impression he means this very on-the-nose switched babies story that doesnʼt even consider the question of what constitutes parenthood, arguably falling behind the Judgement of Solomon, and awkwardly coupled with an editorial about Spainʼs political past. His colours are as great as ever, and Milena Smit is marvellous against Cruz.

A near drama-less "switched at birth" drama. And it tacked on the Spanish Civil War at the end, for no reason that I can comprehend.

feminism always gay

Almodóvar's thematic work is unparalleled.

There is an interesting take on the Spanish Civil War that never really gets developed. Not much else worth seeing.

Pedro Almodovar has been working at it so consistently that you know what you'll get before you press play. It's going to be gorgeous and meticulously laid out, and it'll probably have something a bit kinky. What you wouldn't expect was the Spanish Civil War elements. The reflections on those left behind seeking justice. That's where the film really worked for me. Those last scenes where they gather to finally set their past at ease got me far better than the intricate maternal intrigue.

The performance by Cruz outshines a messy movie.

Well played and with a tense almost thriller-like plot.

A bit of a fumbling with its political messaging but it’s one of the better looking Almodovar films and loved the second half.

"Z generation", your children or would-be ones, do not know Janis Joplin. damn that kind of world.

There are lots of elements to love ,the celebration of diversity and community but there are a few too many storylines going on here, which mask the important point that I think Almodovar is trying to make.

There is no genuine link between the mass grave and the mothers storylines. Mother (Penelope) is unconcerned about the infant. Almodovar wants to talk about family, motherhood, and history, but he has no notion what those things are. However, there are some nice interior places.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Almodovar makes glorified telenovela. (This time with some tacked on political commentary.)

There were just so many subplots, I got lost.

The script wise it was well done but I did not like how poorly it was dramatized. The execution did not challenge me at all.

Film güzel ama beni hiç sarmadı dersiniz ya. İşte o film bu film. Penelope Cruz'un başrolünde olduğu film, doğum sırasında çocuklarının karışması sonucu, 2 anne'nin öyküsünü izliyoruz. Bu arada, İspanya'da günahlarını yüzüne vuruyor. Filmin sonunda, gerçek en sonunda yüzünüze vuracaktır. Sana kırmızı çok yakışıyor.

Hesuggestednothavingit-hewouldnttellchemowife+thinksit'snothislool-nototest+shesnotthemotherLOL+birthpartnergirl'sbabycribdeath-hiresher+test-shesthemomlol+shekissPlolbang+babyfromrape+kindacold-getsjealous+showstruthlol+lolsoselfishsayingdidnttellsooner/thinkofme-takesbaby+pregagain-friendsagain+excavatedhergrandpawargrave-alllayinthedirtlol+humanhistoryrefusestoshutitsmouthlol

It's a typically Almodóvarian melodramatic plot, and also typically, there's gravity and depth to the melodrama. The plot elements that deal with the legacy of Franco's violence initially feel off to the side, but it all comes together very gracefully, turning into a meditation on family and it's often impromptu nature. It's ultimately a film that speaks quite directly to current cultural concerns while pointing to Spain's very specific legacy of violence and terror.

Anyone unfamiliar with the Spanish Civil War will miss a huge chunk of its powerfully coded messaging in the exploration of a 'non-traditional' set of relationships. It carries a defiantly political punch, framing this within the historical context of the exhumation narrative. Much to think about.

Riktigt tunn soppa. Vi följer två kvinnor som föder barn vid samma tidpunkt och vars liv därefter blir sammankopplade. Denna huvudhistoria är i mina ögon banal och Almodovar lyckas inte ens krydda till den med sitt vanliga grepp: sex. Medveten om detta lägger han till en ytligt länkad sidohistoria om det spanska inbördeskriget. Jag hade ganska tråkigt och biofåtöljen och betyget två är självklart. @BAM

Ana: I feel distracted. Me: Hold my beer.

Opinión personal: 7 Actores: 6 Guión: 6.5 Planos/técnicas: 9 BSO: 8.5 Otros:6.5 Iluminación:7 FX:- Director:6 Humor:- Vestuario:- Total: 70