Jimmy Smits and Annette Bening in "Mother and Child"
Giving the type of performances worthy of year-end-awards, co-stars Annette Bening and Naomi Watts will bring plenty of attention to filmmaker Rodrigo García's engaging melodrama “Mother and Child”, due for release this May from Sony Pictures Classics. While a melodrama in the best sense of the word, a tale of mothers, daughters and family relationships, Garcia also creates stand-out roles for Samuel L. Jackson and Jimmy Smits as key men who share the lives of the film’s fascinating women. Thanks to Jackson and Smits, “Mother & Child” becomes a film for everyone, not just a tale for women.
Rodrigo also makes beautiful use of Los Angeles’ diverse communities (with the help of cinematographer Xavier Pérez Grobet and production designer Christopher Tandon). Receiving positive audience response at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival where it screened in the Spotlight section, ‘Mother & Child’ earns comparisons to L.A.-set ensemble dramas from Paul Thomas Anderson and the late Robert Altman. It’s also a personal best for García, who began his career as a cinematographer on the L.A.-set “Mi Vida Loca”. Clearly L.A. and García are made for each other.
Karen (Annette Bening) is an unhappy nurse obsessed by her decision to give up a baby for adoption thirty-seven years ago. Karen works with the adoption agency to try and reconnect with her daughter, named Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), who’s a successful lawyer also living and working in Los Angeles. Karen and Elizabeth share in common intimacy issues with men. Karen has little time for her kind co- worker Paco (Smits). Meanwhile, across town, Elizabeth pursues her married boss (Jackson). As Karen and Elizabeth face daily challenges in their separate lives, one wonders if they will meet. More importantly, if they do meet, how will the reunion turn out?
García has worked before with an ensemble cast and multi-plot dramas (“Nine Lives” in 2005 and “Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her” in 2000 as well as Cable TV dramas “The Sopranos” and “Big Love”) but he delivers his best storytelling for “Mother & Child”.
Working with editor Steven Weisberg, García gives each character the dramatic space needed to tell their story. The 50-year-old filmmaker lets his characters appear unattractive if necessary. García is also confident enough to embrace the emotional intensity of his story and the tearful scenes that revolve around his characters.
As is frequently the case with ensemble dramas, some of the subplots are more successful than others. The drama of a young couple (Kerry Washington and David Ramsey) looking to adopt never comes close to the intensity of Elizabeth’s story. Yet, by the journey’s end, when García pulls all the individual stories together, the hits far outweigh the misses and the emotional impact is undeniable.
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Cast: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Rodrigo García
Writer: Rodrigo García
Editor: Steven Weisberg
Cinematographer: Xavier Pérez Grobet
Producers: Mockingbird Pictures and Everest Entertainment
Rating: Rated R
Running Time: 126 mins
