As is usual in January and February, there are a slew of award contenders vying for space at the cinemas. Pedro Almodovar’s latest, Parallel Mothers, is certainly one of those. Two very different expectant mothers meet at a hospital. Janis (Penelope Cruz) is pushing 40 and Ana (Milena Smit) is just 17 but they do have being single mothers in common. They end up giving birth at the same time, and their lives continue to be intertwined.
Parallel Mothers does not quite reach the levels of the director’s greatest work but there is plenty to like. The central plot is a little soapy and a younger Almodovar would have played it as a camp farce. But with the help of two fine performances from Cruz and Smit, it has a real intensity. And whilst the melodramatic plot unfolds with twists you will see coming and others you want, it also becomes quite a scathing critique of the the younger generation. Ana shows both an ignorance of Spain’s bloody history and an inability to perform simple tasks – Janis has to show her how to peel a potato – such has been her molly-coddled upbringing.
Even more interesting is a subplot about the disinterment of Janis’ great grandfather’s grave. He was killed along with many other men from his village and dumped in a mass grave during the civil war. The last five minutes of the film when this part of the story takes centre stage are very emotional, and the last shot in particular is a real gut punch.
Rating: 8 out of 10