Review of Mother and Child (2009) by Somo N — 02 Apr 2011

Mother and Child is a superb character study involving the issue with adoption.

The film begins with introducing us with three different stories that will be all connected in the end. Annette Bening plays Karen a very deep troubled woman who had to give up her daughter in adoption because she was too young. She lives with her mother as well as takes care of her. Bening plays Karen quiet, deep, very much to herself. She has no friends or husband and pretty much spends the days going to work and going home. However deep inside she resents the fact that she gave up her daughter and has lived with that guilt for a long time. The second subplot is about Elizabeth played by Naomi Watts she's a career woman by herself and likes it that way. Always moving around and likes to break things out of norm, even going as far as having a relationship with her boss. Her ideals in life changes when something comes unexpected come by. The second story is about Lucy played by Kerry Washington, with her husband they are trying to adopt because she can't conceive. This story shows the difficulties of trying to adopt a child. It shows the numerous obstacles she goes through.

I like how the film truly tries to avoid the melodrama that this premise could bring. Another filmmaker could have bogged this down to clichés and melodrama but Mother and Child is set in reality. These are adult characters engaging in conservations that are actually interesting. They were saying things that I or you reader could be talking about one day. The subject of adoption is treated respectful just like in real life. It's not use as a plot mechanism, but as more as a push and motivation to explore the complicated characters in the film. The acting here is very good, Bening does a great job in showing a woman introverted and suffering and transforming into something more. Watts seeing her for the first time in a dramatic role she was very good here as well. Kerry Washington always brings her A game in her roles and she brought it well. I'm really surprised though at Samuel Jackson's performance he plays Watts boss and what a soft soulful performance. A man so eccentric and for that reason he gets in the movies as that eccentric performance. Here shows another side that I never seen before.

The film was written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia Barch he's considered a pioneer for feminist cinema. His movies are concern with issues that deal with women. He should have directed For Colored Girls.

MP ***** 5/5.