The story of two mothers who bond in unexpected way after giving birth the same day.The story of two mothers who bond in unexpected way after giving birth the same day.The story of two mothers who bond in unexpected way after giving birth the same day.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 26 wins & 93 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThere was a poster for PARALLEL MOTHERS (Madres paralelas) over a decade ago in a scene of Almodóvar's Broken Embraces (2009) (Broken Embraces). He was already working on the script and had made a poster.
- Goofs(at around 1h 28 mins) After an argument with Ana in the kitchen, Janis leaves to go sit on the terrace. She sits down in the chair on the left (from viewer's perspective). When Ana walks towards her, Janis is sitting in the chair on the right.
- Crazy creditsThe entirety of the credits appears on 35mm film that scrolls by, with red markings as if someone were reviewing each "picture."
- SoundtracksSummertime
Written by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward (as Dubose Edwin Heyward) and Dorothy Heyward
Performed by Janis Joplin
Featured review
Most directors reach a peak somewhere during their career. Their films stop improving from then on. The remarkable thing with Pedro Almodovar is that, at 72, he still doesn't seem to have reached his peak. The older he gets, the more intense and pure his films become.
In 'Madres Paralelas', all the usual Almodovar ingredients are blended together exquisitely. An unorthodox story about women and motherhood, superb acting from Penelope Cruz, tasteful clothing and interiors, beautiful cinematography and intelligent dialogues with surprising twists. But this time, Almodovar adds a little extra: a subtle attack on the right-leaning political parties in Spain. The former prime minister Mariano Rajoy is even mentioned, which seems at odds with the fact that Almodovars cinematographic universe is usually uncoupled from modern day issues.
The point Almodovar wants to make about Spain, is intelligently integrated into the story. It is about death, war and coping with past sins. The contrast with the other themes in the film is striking: we see Cruz, and the other parallel mother Milena Smit, involved in childbirth, friendship and rethinking their future lives.
A nice characteristic of this film is that it's all about women designing their own lives. Which is a nice change: most films are male-centred. The only male character of any importance is subject to the whims of women. In one funny moment, he tells Cruz that he wants to have a child with her, but not yet. To which she replies that it doesn't really matter, because the unborn baby is already there.
'Madres Paralelas' is a relatively unspectacular film, because in consists mostly of people talking, reacting to each other and showing their emotions. But it takes extraordinary directing skills to make such a film, and fascinate audiences by it. This is one of those films that are just very good, because they are made by an experienced craftsman who knows what he's doing.
In 'Madres Paralelas', all the usual Almodovar ingredients are blended together exquisitely. An unorthodox story about women and motherhood, superb acting from Penelope Cruz, tasteful clothing and interiors, beautiful cinematography and intelligent dialogues with surprising twists. But this time, Almodovar adds a little extra: a subtle attack on the right-leaning political parties in Spain. The former prime minister Mariano Rajoy is even mentioned, which seems at odds with the fact that Almodovars cinematographic universe is usually uncoupled from modern day issues.
The point Almodovar wants to make about Spain, is intelligently integrated into the story. It is about death, war and coping with past sins. The contrast with the other themes in the film is striking: we see Cruz, and the other parallel mother Milena Smit, involved in childbirth, friendship and rethinking their future lives.
A nice characteristic of this film is that it's all about women designing their own lives. Which is a nice change: most films are male-centred. The only male character of any importance is subject to the whims of women. In one funny moment, he tells Cruz that he wants to have a child with her, but not yet. To which she replies that it doesn't really matter, because the unborn baby is already there.
'Madres Paralelas' is a relatively unspectacular film, because in consists mostly of people talking, reacting to each other and showing their emotions. But it takes extraordinary directing skills to make such a film, and fascinate audiences by it. This is one of those films that are just very good, because they are made by an experienced craftsman who knows what he's doing.
- How long is Parallel Mothers?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Паралельні матері
- Filming locations
- Plaza de las Comendadoras, Madrid, Madrid, Spain(Janis' apartment and Café Moderno)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,297,501
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $38,249
- Dec 26, 2021
- Gross worldwide
- $23,099,858
- Runtime2 hours 3 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content