Parallel Mothers Movie Review: An ode to Spain

A still from Parallel Mothers

Parallel Mothers
Dir: Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde
Rating: 3/5

Pedro Almodovar uses his customary flair to set up two unwed mothers as counterpoints as they give birth on the same day - in a voyage of bonding that takes them way beyond the seemingly obvious, deeper into a horrific anthropological past. The Oscar-winning writer-director has been surprising us for the past 35 years with his varied subjects, melodramatic in-depth study of gender and the human condition with an irreverently humorous, sometimes serious, vibrant, colorful, bold, glossy, complex dramatics. Following close on the heels of double Palme d'Or winner and Oscar nominee for best International feature, his semi-autobiographical masterpiece, PAIN AND GLORY (2019), Parallel Mothers pales a little in comparison though.

Janis( Penelope Cruz), a woman pushing 40 gets pregnant from a fling with married Arturo (Israel Elejalde), a forensic archaeologist working on the project to excavate a mass grave from the Spanish Civil War rumored to hold the remains of relatives of Janis, as well as others from the community. At the maternity home, we are introduced to her roommate Ana (a wonderful Milena Smit), a 17-year-old, who is not so thrilled at the thought of becoming a mother. Janis has her lifelong friend Elena (Rossy de Palma) for support while narcissist wannabe-famous actress Teresa (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), Ana's mother, does the same for Ana. The two women give birth on the same day and their lives get intertwined in surprising ways.

Though this is mainly a story of the two women and their babies, the history of the country, and of the families affected by the Spanish Civil War atrocities are brought into play to create a complex narrative with unshakable links to the past. The intertwined story structure feels a little strained even though Almodovar employs his usual dramatic and visual flair to engage his audience. The intersecting of the two womens' lives feels deliberate and Almodovar's attempt to explore a myriad of ideas makes the sub-plots look half-baked.

The choppy pacing of the narrative makes the experience seem a tad tedious. While the film is an interesting watch it's hard to empathize with the two protagonists as they go about their busy routines. The melodrama is measured, humor is a little off-beat, and Almodovar's trademark use of color can be vibrantly experienced in the costumes, art, and décor on display. Penelope Cruz, in her 8th Almodovar film, is a class act and has rightfully been nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. Frequent Almodovar collaborators including Production designer Antxon Gomez, composer Alberto Iglesias, and cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine lend their considerable craft to embellish this stirring, rather verbose tale, lending it a veneer of classy story-telling that is well worth a watch.