Parallel Mothers

"+ Parallel Mothers is a strange blend of family drama and mystery. It has strong performances and the direction by Pedro Almodovar is a great example of finding the right balance between an irreverent, scandalous plot and a deep, compassionate story. Reflecting on this as a whole, it's a great example for why I was so hesitant to give Challengers a strong recommendation. Whereas that movie established an intriguing plot and had strong story elements, but became audience manipulation by the end, I felt like this movie not only crafted its story to hook our attention, but it delivered us to the end without feeling like skillful flash in the service of manipulation. I felt for the characters and the impossible (some might say implausible) situation that they were caught in. I also felt that unlike the former movie, Parallel Mothers was perfectly cast, giving us character dimensions that I'm not used to seeing in American movies. It is told from a place of non-judgement, and I greatly appreciated that. (?) This movie has a strong sense of Spanish culture, and for those like myself, certain narrative threads don't hit as hard as I suspect they would for people who are familiar with the history that is portrayed in the movie. I suspect there are layers to the story that went over my head mainly because I am not well versed in Spanish history. Not necessarily a weakness for the movie, but it might make it less accessible than Pedro Almodovar's other movies. Still, it doesn't take away from the overall power of the general story and may even become a richer second viewing. Not so much a negative as something to consider when watching it. "

"Excellent movie about motherhood and memory. The truth about the Spanish Civil War."