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Friday, May 14, 2010

MOVIE REVIEW
Mother And Child
Parental Advisories And Trepidations


Samuel L. Jackson as Paul and Naomi Watts as Elizabeth in Rodrigo Garcia's "Mother And Child", which expanded its release in California and to Massachusetts today. 
Sony Pictures Classics

By Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com        Follow popcornreel on Twitter FOLLOW 
Friday, May 14, 2010

Rodrigo Garcia writes and directs "Mother And Child", a drama that promises to be neat, cute and convenient but unfolds into a smart, adult tale of complexity, chance and credibility, even if the film is longer than it needs to be.

Employing an excellent, richly talented and eclectic cast, Mr. Garcia cultivates a triumvirate of stories linked to one event in sunny Los Angeles.  The style is reminiscent of filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu ("Amores Perros", "21 Grams", "Babel"), who executive produced "Mother And Child".

In the film, a woman has given up her baby for adoption in years past.  Another woman is having trouble conceiving.  A third woman lacks grounding and a place to call her own.  In each of these roles, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington and Naomi Watts respectively excel.  Ms. Watts was eight months pregnant during production and does a great job inhabiting a cavalier, take-all-chances character who's more afraid than she knows.  None of the women in the film play likable people, but life isn't always likable, either.  Mr. Garcia's screenplay layers each woman extraordinarily well. 

"Mother And Child" is about the hand we are dealt in life, and how playing or failing to play that hand forever scars us or informs the decisions we make.  In this respect the film isn't much different in its themes from "Grand Canyon" (1991) or Seven Pounds" (2008) two other L.A. drama ensemble pieces, though Mr. Garcia's film is more coherent in story, character and reality than the latter of the two movies. 

Though "Mother And Child" may drift in length and have its share of highs and lulls, there's strength in the separate stories, most especially those involving Jimmy Smits and Samuel L. Jackson.  Mr. Jackson is a welcome presence as a more vulnerable character than some of his other recent screen portrayals.  As Paul he displays warmth and delicacy in one of the richer performances of his storied career.  Mr. Smits lends an earnest compassion to the situation he's faced with, adapting well.

Other kudos in the film go to S. Epatha Merkerson, a scene-stealing treat with one memorable line that she delivers two-thirds of the way through.

You feel as though you will submit to a certain treacle or cookie-cutter atmosphere to "Mother And Child", and even if the film travels in that general direction, it's a trip that this occasionally powerful, thought-provoking film just about deserves.

With: Cherry Jones, Elizabeth Peña, Shareeka Epps, LaTanya Richardson, David Morse, Amy Brenneman, Tatyana Ali, Ahmed Best, LisaGay Hamilton, Gloria Gurayua, Carla Gallo, Mark Blucas, Michael Warren.

"Mother And Child" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association Of America for sexuality, brief nudity and language.  The film's running time is two hours and seven minutes.


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Read more movie reviews and stories from Omar here.

Read Omar's "Far-Flung Correspondent" reports for America's pre-eminent Film Critic Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times - here



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