Review by John Delia
The film Mia Madre has its moments, but the bleak story is a matter of taste. A true indie in every sense of the word, the movie becomes a trite look at the inside of movie making through the eyes of a director who’s dealing with her mother’s illness. Admittedly not based on a true story, the subject matter should appeal to those who have found themselves in similar situations with the main character. If you like films that work their magic through dramatic moments and hard to cope with situations, then this little gem will work nicely for you.
Working on her most recent film, Margherita (Margherita Buy) has found herself in a quandary over the recent hospitalization of her mother Ada (Giulia Lazzarini) and a separation with her husband Vittorio (Enrico Ianniello). Add to this having to deal with Barry Huggins (John Turturro) as her main actor who has become difficult to handle being arrogant for having a notable career as an American actor. That’s not all, the film she’s making has political overtones that are not popular with the people of her country. What she does have in her corner however, is a close family and the help of her brother Giovanni (Nanni Moretti) who has taken a lot of weight off her shoulders by attending to their mother.
Sounds like an ordinary story, right? Well it gets a little chaotic when Huggins starts to gain a good portion of Margherita’s valuable time due to his unproductive antics on the set. Director and writer Nanni Moretti takes his story to Margherita’s movie sets, the pristine hospital room of her mother and her home to bring meaning to the life of the central character. His film shots are part of the story with close ups showing the determination to finish her film, disillusion with her work and deep-seated feelings brought on by her mother’s illness.
Performances by the cast are all around very good, but I especially want to point out Margherita Buy. With her world closing in on her, Buy shows the many sides of her character as she deals with her current hectic life. It’s another great performance by the actress who has nearly 70 film and TV credits to her name. It’s the best reason to see the film, especially for those who treasure infallible acting skills.
John Turturro’s role was probably written for him and reminded me a lot of one of his best characters Fioravante in Fading Gigolo. Openly fighting for his career that has been slipping, his Barry finds solace in going back to his home country to work in a film. Taking in all the glory from his fellow cast however, has gone to his head and flaunts it much to his chagrin. I like this character for Turturro and he’s a huge part of the positive side of this review.
Mia Madre has been rated R by the MPAA for language. It’s presented in Italian, French and the English language with English Subtitles. While the subject matter is directed to adults, older female teens may find the heartfelt story enchanting thorough the eyes of the teenage character Livia played by Beatrice Mancini.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good film with stellar acting. (C+)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Margherita Buy, John Turturro, Giulia Lazzarini, Nanni Moretti
Directed By: Nanni Moretti
Written By: Nanni Moretti and Valia Santella
Genre: Foreign, Italy, France
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout
Running Time: 1 hr. 47 mim.
Release Date: September 9, 2016
Distributed by: Music Box Films
Language: Italian, French and English (with subtitles)