Parallel Mothers

Almodóvar at his very best, presenting a riveting drama about two mothers from very different backgrounds whose lives become intertwined.

Janis (Penelope Cruz) is a successful and single 40-something photographer. When she suddenly discovers she’s pregnant, she decides to have the child she has always wanted. Ana (Milena Smit) is a terrified adolescent in a very different state of mind. They support each other through the experience of pregnancy, drift apart, then meet again; life not only ensures they reconnect, but their bond only gains in intensity. In its dramatic developments, Almodóvar’s perfectly executed plot is almost Shakespearean, as love, betrayal and death manifest themselves in the most unexpected ways. Cruz and Smit are electric, brilliantly conveying the traumas of parenthood and the complex relations between mothers and daughters. There’s also a terrific performance from Rossy De Palma as an outrageous magazine editor. The result is a stunning melodrama directed by a master of the form.