Parallel Mothers

It's now three days until the Oscars and I'm starting to fret. Have I actually seen all the winners? I was so close to doing it last year (skipping on Doc. Short winner Colette), and I don't intend to fall behind this year either. So, I decided to stream two International Contenders today. I'll talk about one of them now, though.

First up is Parallel Mothers, the latest film from Iconic Spanish Auteur Pedro Almodovar. I had to start an account with Vudu (formerly FandangoNow) because it was the cheapest place to rent it ($4.99 vs $19.99 everywhere else). But at least it's free to join.

Photographer Janis Martinez (Penelope Cruz) gets involved with anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde). Nine months later, Janis is expectant and shares a maternity ward suite with Ana (Milena Smit). They both deliver at the same time. They keep in touch as they raise their baby girls separately. But Arturo is not convinced the baby is his. A DNA test confirms that it's not Janis's either. Her and Ana's babies were swapped at birth. Her efforts to keep things a secret are complicated when she reunites with Ana.

There's also a subplot concerning a mass grave of victims of the Franco Regime. Janis hopes Arturo can exhume the grave, as her great-grandfather was one such victim. He and the grave come back into the picture just as Janis and Ana's relationship evolves significantly. It won't be easy for anyone involved.

One can tell it's a pure cinematic soap opera. It's especially that on a technical level. To start, there's Alberto Iglesias's melodramatic - and Oscar-nominated - score. The sweeping music accentuates Janis's relationships rather well. Antxon Gomez's production design and Jose Luis Alcaine's cinematography heighten the emotions with their searing colors. One standout moment is the end when the mass grave is fully exhumed. It's a creepy and emotional moment.

Let's talk about the title characters. Cruz's performance as Janis wears her heart on her sleeve. You'll feel delighted or uneasy when she is. Her inability to reveal the secret is from clear emotional trauma and not "drag out the plot syndrome." I haven't divulged much about Ana, but the revelations make an already sympathetic character even more so. Smit's performance as Ana is just that good. Their best scenes are when their relationship picks up near the halfway point. It's a tense moment when that secret is finally revealed. They fortunately reconcile by the end.

The supporting cast has two highlights. The first is Aitana Sanchez-Guijon as Ana's actress mother, Teresa. She's a seemingly self-centered egotist who, as we find out, has her own emotional trauma to deal with. You'll sympathize with her as much as her daughter. Rossy de Palma brings much needed levity as Janis's best friend and agent, Elena. She makes the most of her comparatively limited screentime.

How does a story about Parallel Mothers relate to the Spanish Civil War? In a way, both plots are about giving people back their loved ones and moving on from emotional trauma. The themes made much more sense as I pressed play a second time (and it's playing as I write this). It's a slow but steady drama that kept me interested for 123 minutes. I'm sure it will too if you can find a venue to watch it. It might be in local theatres now, or you'll have to find it on demand, but if you want to watch it before the Oscars ... the clock is ticking.