The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

Ma Ma

Ma Ma | Movie review
22 June 2016
Jo Rogers
Avatar
Jo Rogers
22 June 2016

Movie and show review

Jo Rogers

Ma Ma

★★★★★

Release date

24th June 2016

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

Penelope Cruz plays the charming mother, Magda, in the emotional whirlwind that is Ma Ma, the latest film from Spanish director Julio Medem. Worlds away from his previous features Sex and Lucia and Room in Rome, Ma Ma is an intense, heart-breaking and altogether surreal experience. Charming and upbeat single parent Magda has her life turned upside down when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. The drama follows her turbulent journey through recovery and relapse, alongside her relationships with her young son and new partner, Arturo (Luis Tosar), who is struggling with his own grief after the death of his wife and daughter. The two bond over the mutual tragedies in their lives and start a relationship. However, the pace at which major events happen during the movie is so fast that any proper realism is ruined, with many scenes appearing simply too dreamlike and unrealistic to be that effective. This is a shame, considering the serious and upsetting issues the film is trying to represent.

Beautifully shot and set in sunny Madrid, Ma Ma’s bright and airy look is an interesting contrast against its arguably bleak storyline. Cruz’s portrayal of the “strong woman and mother” is admirable and her character is generally likeable, but the film’s jumpy structure and lack of realistic scenarios ultimately lets it down, making some of its characters appear strangely alien at times, with various scenes seeming unnecessary and self-indulgent. Also, characters often seem inappropriately tactile – with Magda receiving weirdly intimate hugs and kisses from medical staff and developing an unusually physical relationship with her doctor.  

As the movie progresses, however, it is hard not to get wrapped up in some of the drama and start genuinely rooting for Magda and her health. The bold and frank way that Ma Ma deals with the topic of cancer (and femininity) is also very eye-opening and emotional at times. The fact that the heroine does not get her happy ending – and does not actually survive – is one of the film’s more realistic and affecting aspects. It thankfully does not try to sugar-coat the notion of being terminally ill. For many women, Ma Ma will probably be a difficult watch whether it is realistic or not, and it is worth noting that the feature actually dedicates itself “to the women” at the very end.

★★★★★

Jo Rogers

Ma Ma is released nationwide on 24th June 2016.

Watch the trailer for Ma Ma here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

Coming 2 America

★★★★★
Musanna Ahmed
Read More

Eye of the Storm

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

The Dissident

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

Moxie

★★★★★
Emma Kiely
Read More

Notturno

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

The Winter Lake

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Lucky

★★★★★
Jacob Kennedy
Read More

Justine

★★★★★
Abbie Grundy
Read More

Foster Boy

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Jo Rogers

Ma Ma

★★★★★

Release date

24th June 2016

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • The Girl and the Spider (Das Mädchen und die Spinne)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Celebrate International Women’s Day with a Bombay Sapphire Cocktails & Create masterclass
    Food & Drinks
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Limbo
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Delectible drinks that would make the perfect Mother’s Day gift
    Food & Drinks
  • Killing Escobar
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • “There really hasn’t been a film that deals with a platonic male-female relationship in this way”: Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass discuss Language Lessons
    Berlinale
  • A Brixton Tale
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Surge
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • The Old Ways
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Berlinale 2021 winners: The full list
    Berlinale
  • WandaVision
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • Coming 2 America
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Dissident
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Ross & Rachel at Battersea Arts Centre | Theatre review
Wild at Hampstead Theatre | Theatre review