With Parallel Mothers, Pedro Almodóvar indulges in less of his more zany machinations to create an examination of family and loss. He also pivots in the final resolve to locate the emotional center in a place more hinted at than laid out as the main focus. He pulls great performances from the cast with a nod to not overplaying their roles. It’s understated and relatable.
Continuing her long association with Almodóvar, Penélope Cruz plays Janis a world-class photographer who becomes pregnant after a night of passion with Arturo (Israel Elejalde) a forensic archaeologist. She enlists his help to appeal to the government to excavate a mass grave site this possibly contains the remains of her family members. They were victims of fascist aggressors during the Spanish Civil War.
In the maternity ward, Janis meets Ana (Milena Smit) a young woman who is also there to deliver a baby. After sharing a room their lives become intertwined in a lifelong bond. After successful births that both leave the hospital to resume their lives. There is a mystery that is attached to this that plays out in a somewhat obvious fashion but the emotional focus of the film lies elsewhere.
The film is oddly paced with slow exposition until the final reel and then accelerating rather abruptly to its conclusion. You do feel attached to the participants by film’s end. In some ways it makes the final reveal feel that much more human. Our lives are rarely linearly modulated, more a series of ups and downs. The final send-off of Parallel Mothers is its most lasting element.
Rob Hudson
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