YNOT at the Movies

The internationally renowned Spanish writer-director Pedro Almodóvar has made many films that masterfully craft mesmerizing and colorful women. He continues that trajectory in his latest film "Parallel Mothers" (Madres paralelas | Spain/France 2021 | in Spanish | 123 min.), which opened last year's Venice Film Festival. It portrays three intertwining mothers with different fates, backgrounds, and experiences. Once again, Pedro Almodóvar gives his frequent collaborator Penélope Cruz a terrific role to play, and she delivers a wonderful performance in return.

In her late thirties, Janis (Penélope Cruz) is an accomplished photographer. She is on a mission to discover the truth about a mass-grave where she believes her great-grandfather was murdered and buried during the Spanish Civil War by Franco's fascist nationalist party. To uncover the mass grave, she needs the help from an archaeologist, Arturo (Israel Elejalde). In no time, she hooks up with Arturo, who is married, and gets pregnant. Janis is overjoyed about her soon-to-be motherhood, while Arturo is not so thrilled about the news.

Right before she gives birth, Janis meets and befriends an unhappy pregnant teenager Ana (Milena Smit) whom Janis shares her hospital room with. Ana's pregnancy is also an accident, but she is stressed out about it because Ana's mom Teresa (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), an aspiring actress, has little interest in parenting and Ana cannot expect much help from Teresa to raise the baby.

Little do they know, after both Janis and Ana give birth to a baby girl, these three mothers' lives are forever intertwined, and they have to face the consequences of each action they take along the way.

As in most of Pedro Almodóvar's films, the director uses sumptuous visuals and bright colors in his storytelling, and it's no exception in this film. Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit both look gorgeous in addition to giving terrific performances. But most notably, Pedro Almodóvar writes a script that challenges the audience's expectation in every step of the way. Just when you think a character won't go in a certain direction, you will be given a surprise by the story as she will go there.

The twists and turns of the drama are so captivating that you will forgive a few implausible plot developments. (Unfortunately, I cannot be more specific without revealing spoilers.) It's fascinating to watch how Janis struggles with her moral dilemma between uncovering the truth of history and living the truth of her real life. Equally satisfying is to see Ana's transformation from a vulnerable teenager into a confident mother figure. Even for Teresa, Pedro Almodóvar gives her a voice to express her regret for not being able to be there for Ana when Ana needs her. He brilliantly creates three parallel mother characters who are very different but also share a common principle.

"Parallel Mothers" opens on Friday, January 7, 2022 in the San Francisco Bay Area.