Parallel Mothers Movie Review: Penelope Cruz Is Exceptional In Pedro Almodóvar's Brutal, Yet Joyful World

Available In Theatres
Duration: 120 Minutes
Language: Spanish

Plot: The film follows two single women who meet in a hospital room, both about to give birth. Janis is middle-aged and doesn't regret the decision while the other, Ana is a scared adolescent. The two women form a strong bond with one another as they both confront motherhood and overcome several difficulties together, as their joy and world's brutality runs parallel.

Review: Pedro Almodóvar's film Parallel Mothers explores Spain's history of the Spanish Civil War and its impact and some lack of impact in today's time. The title itself may have nothing to do with the film's setting but it does provide a critic into its characters, Ana, Janis, Terresa and other mothers, who spent years hoping to uncover the truth behind unmarked graves in their villages and find their love and lost family members.

Parallel Mothers follows stylish photographer Janis at a photo shoot with renowned forensic archaeologist Arturo. The two who hit it off instantly, also have another reason to cross paths. Janis asks him if his foundation will help excavate a mass grave in her home village. She believes that at the site, among other men from the village her great-grandfather was also killed and buried during the Spanish Civil War. Arturo agrees to review the case with his foundation but it may take years.

As they spend time together Arturo and Janis get into a relationship of convenience, which ends when she finds out she is pregnant. Despite them parting ways Janis does not regret having the child. It is at the hospital during labour, she crosses paths with Ana, a scared adolescent giving birth with her mother by her side. Both being single mothers bond with the hopes and despair of motherhood, they exchange numbers and hope to keep in touch.

Months after giving birth, when Arturo sees his daughter Cecilia he is convinced the child isn't his. Appalled by this accusation, Janis asks him to leave them alone but doubt seeps into her mind. She decides to take a maternity test only to find she is not Cecilia's mother. There have been plenty of films and shows exploring the switched at birth plot, however, when the audience is led to expect a comedy, director Pedro Almodóvar spins in an emotional twist.

The bright colours and dark tones on the set contrast each other much like the plot and the story. While we do get to see joy in Ana and Janis' relationship as they go from strangers to friendship and something more than lovers, it also holds equal appreciation to their past. Ana comes from a privileged but messy family? and despite having everything, the most she manages to gain from is herself. On the other hand, Janis raised by her grandmother after her hippie mom passed away, grows up to revere her past and keep it alive.

The direction and camera work like fade out to black, and slow scene cuts are sure to remind the audience of some of the golden works of early cinema. They bring a sense of longing among the characters which is hard to come by in the 21st century's faced-paced stories. Penélope Cruz never misses a beat as Janis the smart, practical woman, a mother and an emotional individual, on the other hand, Milena Smit shines bright just as much, even next to Cruz.

Overall, Parallel Mothers is an exceptional piece of art that is enough as the tale with hints of drama, mystery, joy and nostalgia, but it offers more throughout its run time.