Ma Ma – Film Review by Lauren Fee

Director: Julio Medem
Writer: Julio Medem
Stars:  Penélope Cruz, Luis Tosar, Asier Etxeandia CAr Money

Ma Ma is an out of the box, quirky cancer movie that Penelope Cruz grounds in her outstanding performance. It follows Magda (Cruz), a mother who is diagnosed with breast cancer. Or in Spanish cáncer de mama, hence the title. On the day of her diagnosis, she meets a man at her son’s football match. He takes a call explaining his wife is in a coma and his daughter has died. A complicated relationship develops between the two who find comfort in helping each other through their pain.

One of the film’s main draws is its aesthetic appeal. Following the style of ‘A Single Man’ (Tom Ford, 2009) the film uses colour to show the viewer what Magda is feeling. Things that are important are bright and saturated to her and when she begins to feel overwhelmed the colour drains from her face and the room. It becomes a creative metaphor for her fighting to stay positive. Combined with Kiko de la Rica’s beautiful cinematography the film is visually accomplished and helps the audience see through Madga’s eyes. However one visual choice that does not flow so well is the very fake looking CGI shots of Magda’s insides. Although the use of her heartbeat to pace the film combined with the score from Eduardo Cruz and Alberto Iglesias helps to keep the audience on edge and comforted at the same time, I could have done without the cartoonish look at her actual heart.

Ma Ma begins in a light-hearted manner with Madga focusing more on losing her nipples than her life. This film knows no boundaries which is reflected in its characters. The overly affectionate doctor/singer embodies the strange ‘screw social norms’ attitude of the film. However once you get drawn into the world you begin to forgive its ridiculous rules. Ma Ma goes from being strange and slightly awkward to find its footing as a melodramatic portrait of a woman fighting to find meaning in her life. If you need a surprising and confusing tearjerker this is the film for you. Like many of Cruz’s films, this one is worth going to see for her  astounding performance alone.