The complete list of nominees for the Oscars 2022 has put Penelope Cruz again in the running for a golden statuette, thanks to his outstanding stellar performance in parallel mothersthe acclaimed and most recent bet of the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. The film had a successful run through different festivals and award ceremonies, for which many were waiting for its premiere on Netflix.
The film joins a long list of titles by the aforementioned filmmaker on the platform, although it is a somewhat different proposal. The plot of Parallel Mothers brings us closer to Janis (Cruz) and Ana (Milena Smit), two new women in the world of motherhood who will face a new stage very assimilated in their new role.
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On the one hand, we have Janis, a photographer in her 40s who has become pregnant as a result of her occasional encounters with Arturo, a forensic anthropologist who has offered her help in the excavations of a historical grave, where the remains of the great-grandfather of Janis are found. the protagonist. The latter will be the background.
On the other hand, Ana is still in her teens and the fact that she is pregnant was the result of a threat. She was forced to sleep with a group of men who blackmailed her into releasing a sex tape of hers if she didn’t.
Both recognize that they are not in ideal situations, but neither do they eat away at their minds with “What would have happened if…?”.
Parallel mothers has a simple plot developed with complex characters. Despite the fact that the women’s daughters were switched at birth, the film manages to escape the clichés that the interweaving of its story might suggest.
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Part of its delicate and intimate staging lies in the masterful eye of Almodóvar, who gives us an incisive look at motherhood, loss, and a passionate and unexpected romance that is born between Janis and Ana.
The cinematography of the film is subtle and direct at the same time, it does not miss the opportunity to rely on the play of lights and key frames to introduce details that, little by little, find their logic in a narrative enhanced by impeccable performances and well-achieved portraits.
The director does not corner his protagonists to explain their actions, but each scene justifies the reason for what comes next. The transitions of his characters are smooth and feel in hindsight.
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The common thread of this peaceful and thunderous story of passion and truth evaluates grief, but not focused on pain, but on self-learning and its importance for a permanent legacy.
Parallel mothers is, in substance and matter, a vivid melodrama full of nuances, which contemplates and does not disappoint. Pedro Almodóvar has successfully left high expectations for his next production, which has already been anticipated to be in English and will have Cate Blanchett as its lead.
Cast of Parallel Mothers
- Penelope Cruz (Janis)
- Milena Smith (Ana)
- Israel Elejalde (Arturo)
- Aitana Sanchez-Gijon (Teresa)
- Rossy de Palma (Elena).
Pedro Almodovar movies on Netflix
- parallel mothers
- Women at the edge of a nervous attack
- What have I done to deserve this?
- high heels
- Return
- Kika
- Bad Education
- In darkness
- Talk to her
- tremulous meat
- The law of Desire
- The flower of my secret.