Parallel Mothers

For me, this Pedro Almodóvar movie is a Master Class in filmmaking. Here he teams with two of his favorite muses, Penelope Cruz as Janis, (named afer Janis Joplin), and Rossy de Palma as Elena, Janis' best friend, along with Milena Smit as Ana and Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, as Teresa, Ana's theatre-actress mother. Israel Elejalde stars as Arturo, Janis' love interest and the archeologist on a historic and personal dig in Janis' home town. The A plot features Janis, 47, and Ana, 17, as they cute meet in a hospital delivery room, each a single mother with secrets. The B plot centers on a local political massacre in which the ancesters of the townspeople were victims. DNA and a daring architectural dig overlap and meld in a film about identity, belonging, allowing history to tell the truth, and healing. As always in an Almodóvar film, smiles are wide, tears flow fiercely, and even the aprons and paintings on the walls are so beautiful as to entice me to watch a second time. If you like Spanish auteurs, I recommend this. Penelope is outstanding in this role.

If you are a fan of Almodóvar this is an early movie that is fun and intense

Absolutely smashing performance by Penelope Cruz, one of the greatest actors of our time.

Blood is thicker than water, I think that is what this movie talks about. DNA is important in this movie because represents the inheritance of our ghosts and dreams not only of our cells.Family bonds will always be stronger than other relationships. The little baby in this movie must go back with her real mother. Penelope Cruz's character understand that. And those people who were torn from their families and killed by the fascists during the Civil war, they also need to go back to their families so they can bury them and heal. This is really a great movie.

Do you know what I'm tired of, Theresa Teske? Reading one-star reviews from illiterate bigots, which is especially galling in light of the film's moving tribute to the 100,000 Spaniards murdered under Franco's dictatorship, a regime supported by people who were a lot like you. Garcia Lorca, the playwright mentioned in the film, was one of these victims; his remains have never been located. Thank you, James Morris, for letting these nitwits have it, right in the brisket where they deserve. I've always loved Almodovar, from his early and anarchically zany films (What Did I Do To Deserve This, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) to his more somber recent films, like Bad Education, Pain and Glory, and this one. The Bernard Herrmann-like score was a nice touch.

This is basically a soap that tries to elevate itself into a serious art film by jamming a political commentary about the Franco era onto the end. The relationship between the two female leads is simply dropped without any meaningful resolution. I think it would have been much better if he had fully committed to that relationship and saw it through, like he did with Tie Me Up, which was similarly soapy but was such a great story because he was faithful to it and didn't attempt to inject any high-minded messaging.

Almodovar does it again. This movie takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through the lives of complex, well-developed and relatable characters, beautifully portrayed by talented actors, as they navigate an unexpected upheaval. I didn't have any desire to look at my phone for the entire film. It's engaging from start to finish. And the best part? The ending strikes a beautiful balance between pure joy, sadness and solemn reflection on the meaning of life and family. Spectacular.

Listed as Engish audio. Tried all options... only Spanish available. Good movie but didn't appreciate the subtitles when advertised otherwise.

Fast and so happy it is in English!

Muy bueno y buen servicio

An absolute must see, outstanding film and the actors do an excellent job with their portrayals, highly recommended!