Parallel Mothers (Madres paralelas) (2021)
88%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
23 wins & 80 nominations total
A brilliant forum for Penélope Cruz’s talent, Parallel Mothers reaffirms the familiar pleasures of Almodóvar’s filmmaking while proving he’s still capable of growth.
Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers is a must-see for fans of the director’s work and newcomers alike. Penélope Cruz delivers an unparalleled performance that radiates warmth and forgiveness, even in the midst of dark themes. The film’s mix of restraint and extravagance, delirious use of color, and sense of the theatrical make for a perfect storm of intense melodrama. And let’s not forget the surprising and emotional blend of Spain’s history within the narrative. It’s a shattering drama that will leave you feeling both devastated and fulfilled. Just be prepared for an occasional intrusion of a secondary storyline. Overall, Parallel Mothers is a wild ride that’s worth taking.
Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Madrid, Spain
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexuality
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:SDDS Dolby Digital DTS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 3m
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Language(s):Spanish
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Country of origin:Spain
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 24, 2021 Limited
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Penélope Cruz, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, written by Pedro Almodóvar, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Adam Nayman, Barry Hertz, David Stratton, Wendy Ide, Tara Brady, MPAA rating R, produced by Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García, Spanish language, Sony Pictures Classics, SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Flat (1.85:1), Janis, Ana, hospital, birth, single, accidental pregnancy, middle-aged, adolescent, fear, trauma, close link, growth, emotional, Spanish Civil War, history, melodrama, twists and turns, emotional stakes
Worldwide gross: $23,089,136
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $23,551,252
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,655
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,568,294
US/Canada gross: $2,297,501
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,498,778
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,979
US/Canada opening weekend: $38,249
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $41,600
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,266
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón – Teresa
Milena Smit – Ana
Israel Elejalde – Arturo
Julieta Serrano – Brígida
Rossy de Palma – Elena
Director(s)
Pedro Almodóvar
Writer(s)
Pedro Almodóvar
Producer(s)
Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García
Film Festivals
Venice
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
23 wins & 80 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (217) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (209) | Rotten (8)
Cruz may not be the favorite in the Best Actress race, but her performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s film is, well, unparalleled.
March 23, 2022
Adam Nayman
The Ringer
TOP CRITIC
I was both fairly sure what Parallel Mothers might be, and eager to be surprised. Thankfully, Almodóvar delivers on both fronts – as Almodóvar should almost always be entrusted to do.
February 8, 2022
Barry Hertz
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
If you’re already a fan of Almodovar’s work this is essential viewing; if you haven’t been introduced to his very special world before, Parallel Mothers will be a great place to start.
February 1, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Most of all, it’s Cruz who sets the tone, with a performance that radiates warmth and is refreshingly forgiving of her character’s flaws. She has never been better.
January 29, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Even the dark excavation at the heart of the enterprise is delivered with wit, warmth and eye-popping colours.
January 28, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
What won’t be a surprise for those familiar with Almodóvar is the film’s mix of restraint and extravagance, the director’s delirious use of color, his ecstatic aesthetic and a sense of the theatrical.
January 28, 2022
John Anderson
America Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Sensual and savvy and always sublime, Parallel Mothers sells everything within its immaculate frames — and surrendering to its emotional, visual and thematic pull is as natural as life and death.
June 25, 2022
Sarah Ward
Concrete Playground
The titular parallelism isn’t in Janis and Ana’s stories, but in what they symbolize so we can understand the pain of all the mothers affected by the [Spanish] Civil War and its consequences. [Full review in Spanish]
June 23, 2022
Erick Estrada
Cinegarage
A perfect storm of melodramatic plot elements, complex emotional reactions, and wild deceptions, it requires on the part of its director a simultaneous iron grip on tone, together with a certain paradoxical lightness of touch.
June 1, 2022
Catherine Bray
Film of the Week
Intense melodrama… [Full review in Spanish]
May 18, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Alejandro Lingenti
La Nación (Argentina)
Surprising and emotional as Spain’s history is masterfully blended within the narrative.
[Full review in Spanish]
May 16, 2022
Ruben Peralta Rigaud
Cocalecas
A shattering drama whose potency is occasionally diluted by an intrusive secondary storyline.
April 16, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy…
Plot
Two women, Janis and Ana, coincide in a hospital room where they are going to give birth. Both are single and became pregnant by accident. Janis, middle-aged, doesn’t regret it and she is exultant. The other, Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatized. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in these hours will create a very close link between the two, which by chance develops and complicates, and changes their lives in a decisive way.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Penélope Cruz’s “unparalleled” performance in Parallel Mothers.
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