The struggle of life and the struggle for life last until the last breath.
18 Reviews
Cruz alone can't save quite save it
ferguson-67 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Greetings again from the darkness. It's usually easy to bash the movies that go heavy on sentimentality. It's possible that even Steve Goodman would agree that this latest from writer/director Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia, 2000) could be the outline for a perfect country song: Mama's husband leaves her for a younger woman/student; Mama loses her teaching job; Mama gets breast cancer; Mama's new friend experiences a life tragedy; Mama and her new friend fall in love; Mama gets more bad news; Mama gets some good and unexpected news; things don't end well for Mama. Mix in a train, a truck and prison, and there would be no argument.
Penelope Cruz produces and stars as Magda, the titular Ma Ma whose singing gynecologist breaks the news that her breast cancer will require chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy. What follows could be called a whirlwind of tragedies involving Magda, her son Dani (Teo Plannel) and the soccer scout Arturo (Luis Tosar) and the aforementioned doctor (Asier Etxeandia).
The fine performance of Penelope Cruz keeps the film moving through the first two acts, and she is just so darn likable that we find ourselves really pulling for her. The strength and spirit of this woman has a positive influence on all who come in contact with her. She has an odd impact on the doctor who is clearly attracted to her, and they share a most awkward and unnecessary running dialogue about a young Siberian girl that he and his wife are considering adopting.
The third act quite simply pushes the film over-the-top, as it goes beyond sentimentality and into pure Lifetime channel mush. The film is probably a bit too slick and stylized, given the real struggles of battling cancer; however, the point of female strength is not lost though the "save the nipple" and "the soul doesn't die" discussions deliver a few eye rolls.
Penelope Cruz produces and stars as Magda, the titular Ma Ma whose singing gynecologist breaks the news that her breast cancer will require chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy. What follows could be called a whirlwind of tragedies involving Magda, her son Dani (Teo Plannel) and the soccer scout Arturo (Luis Tosar) and the aforementioned doctor (Asier Etxeandia).
The fine performance of Penelope Cruz keeps the film moving through the first two acts, and she is just so darn likable that we find ourselves really pulling for her. The strength and spirit of this woman has a positive influence on all who come in contact with her. She has an odd impact on the doctor who is clearly attracted to her, and they share a most awkward and unnecessary running dialogue about a young Siberian girl that he and his wife are considering adopting.
The third act quite simply pushes the film over-the-top, as it goes beyond sentimentality and into pure Lifetime channel mush. The film is probably a bit too slick and stylized, given the real struggles of battling cancer; however, the point of female strength is not lost though the "save the nipple" and "the soul doesn't die" discussions deliver a few eye rolls.
A tearjerker like no other
deesestone24 August 2020
Boo hoo hoo right from the start until the very last scene,this is a tearjerker that gives your tears no respite. Even bald, Penelope Cruz is stunningly beautiful and only gets more beautiful not to mention more saintlike as she nears death. I just want to know one thing -- where can I find a singing doctor? They barely even talk to me. And what about one that comes to visit me at the sea shore and performs a medical exam in the water! Did he swipe the medicare card for all of this? Still, the movie was watchable even if you had to scold yourself for falling for this relentless bathos. Now that it is over, gotta question myself.
Penelope Cruz dominates ..
samabc-3195219 December 2020
This movie may make you lachrymose but it is not a melodrama.. the protagonist is battling with a terminal cancer... she still finds love and tries to live her life to the fullest.. Penelope Cruz justifies the role of a young divorced mother of a 10 year old completely ..she dominates.. .blue rooms with white furniture creates a subtlety and tones down the emotions...
Telling desperate people they can do better" is downright evil!
b_velkova4 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Recently separated mother with no job and no money gets breast cancer. A tragedy? Not in the least. The life of Penélope Cruze's character is actually just beginning. In the little time she has left she gathers her strength and starts a new family, makes every moment meaningful and even gets prettier! The outcome is deadly, but it is OK, because she has lived to the fullest.
Well, I find this plot not only unconvincing, but pretty harmful as well. Terminal cancer (among many other things in life) is not nice! And to be positive about it is just inadequate. Acceptance is a whole different matter and to achieve it you don't need fairy tales, but a strong sense of reality. When people are cold, they shiver; when they are doomed, they are desperate. Telling them they can do better" only adds self-hatred to the desperation and is downright evil!
I cannot see how the so called survivors can benefit from that little story either. It can only make them despise their dead for not have lived and died so glamorously and incline them to use lavishly the "sparkle retouch" on their memories. Sometimes that can give them a false sense of peace, but the truth will continue to try and manifest itself. And they should let it, because there's nothing wrong with it.
Well, I find this plot not only unconvincing, but pretty harmful as well. Terminal cancer (among many other things in life) is not nice! And to be positive about it is just inadequate. Acceptance is a whole different matter and to achieve it you don't need fairy tales, but a strong sense of reality. When people are cold, they shiver; when they are doomed, they are desperate. Telling them they can do better" only adds self-hatred to the desperation and is downright evil!
I cannot see how the so called survivors can benefit from that little story either. It can only make them despise their dead for not have lived and died so glamorously and incline them to use lavishly the "sparkle retouch" on their memories. Sometimes that can give them a false sense of peace, but the truth will continue to try and manifest itself. And they should let it, because there's nothing wrong with it.
Real Magical Realism
scallen-2500112 March 2017
This film really touched me. Forgive me for attempting persuasion via a personal, anecdotal connection. So often, however, I believe that those types of connections explain precisely how art is able to establish leverage and truly move us as viewers or consumers.
This film offers a beautiful interpretation of cancer through the eye of a strong, modern woman–interspersed with a kind of very real, magical realism. It was exquisite.
Magda (Cruz) reminds me of my very own mother.
For as long as I can remember, my mother has told me that one day when she was 28 years old, she saw a vision of a little girl with long brown hair walking away from her in her kitchen. Days later, she found out she was pregnant with me. My mother has a beautiful spirituality that is unique and special. She understood the vision of the girl–a figment her mind, her hope–as a source comfort that she carried with her. Throughout my childhood, she called me, "my little comfort."
When I was 10 and my mother 38, she was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. She and my father decided to tell me and my older sisters right away. I remember where we stood in the kitchen when they told us. It's frozen like a photograph in my mind. I remember the blood on the floral bandages from her surgeries. I remember the morning she began losing her hair, the smell of the chemotherapy on her arms and cheeks, and watching the needles enter her arms after our 3 1/2 hour drive each Saturday. I remember the way her returning, peppered hair felt on my hands. I remember when that little hair that returned fell out again. I remember her many hats, her first and only tattoos–dotted radiation targets, I remember the night she rocked me and told me that she was not contagious.
What I don't remember, however, and perhaps never considered until this film is how she must have felt a loss of her femininity, perhaps her sexuality, her womanhood. How much harder it was to be not only a mother to three daughters–but also a wife and a woman.
This film has been reviewed negatively saying that it is melodramatic, unrealistic, and lacks depth. My opinion is so much different. I think it is so interesting that people reacted that way, because to me, I feel that those critiques display an inability to identify real, female depth. The depth of this film can be found in the seemingly unrealistic joy, hope, and selflessness with which Magda repeatedly greets fear in her life. In how she relentlessly chooses to give love, understanding, and forgiveness. The realness of this film can be found in the true story of a woman like my mother. Just as this film helped me realize that my own mother must have struggled in an additional dimension I had never considered, I challenge viewers to watch this film and appreciate the magical strength it would actually take to face a challenge in the way that Magda does. Challenge the judgmental gaze that we, as viewers, so often feel entitled to employ–I think this is a similar judgmental gaze through which we, as a society, feel allows us to scrutinize women. If we view this film honestly, and give its magic a real interpretation instead of something created to "make us cry" or "be a tearjerker", this is when we will see its power. Magda envisions her happiness, she visualizes the goodness even when it is not physically there, and she sources joy from those around her. That is magical and it is real.
Thank you for making this film. I cannot wait to tell my mom about it.
This film offers a beautiful interpretation of cancer through the eye of a strong, modern woman–interspersed with a kind of very real, magical realism. It was exquisite.
Magda (Cruz) reminds me of my very own mother.
For as long as I can remember, my mother has told me that one day when she was 28 years old, she saw a vision of a little girl with long brown hair walking away from her in her kitchen. Days later, she found out she was pregnant with me. My mother has a beautiful spirituality that is unique and special. She understood the vision of the girl–a figment her mind, her hope–as a source comfort that she carried with her. Throughout my childhood, she called me, "my little comfort."
When I was 10 and my mother 38, she was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. She and my father decided to tell me and my older sisters right away. I remember where we stood in the kitchen when they told us. It's frozen like a photograph in my mind. I remember the blood on the floral bandages from her surgeries. I remember the morning she began losing her hair, the smell of the chemotherapy on her arms and cheeks, and watching the needles enter her arms after our 3 1/2 hour drive each Saturday. I remember the way her returning, peppered hair felt on my hands. I remember when that little hair that returned fell out again. I remember her many hats, her first and only tattoos–dotted radiation targets, I remember the night she rocked me and told me that she was not contagious.
What I don't remember, however, and perhaps never considered until this film is how she must have felt a loss of her femininity, perhaps her sexuality, her womanhood. How much harder it was to be not only a mother to three daughters–but also a wife and a woman.
This film has been reviewed negatively saying that it is melodramatic, unrealistic, and lacks depth. My opinion is so much different. I think it is so interesting that people reacted that way, because to me, I feel that those critiques display an inability to identify real, female depth. The depth of this film can be found in the seemingly unrealistic joy, hope, and selflessness with which Magda repeatedly greets fear in her life. In how she relentlessly chooses to give love, understanding, and forgiveness. The realness of this film can be found in the true story of a woman like my mother. Just as this film helped me realize that my own mother must have struggled in an additional dimension I had never considered, I challenge viewers to watch this film and appreciate the magical strength it would actually take to face a challenge in the way that Magda does. Challenge the judgmental gaze that we, as viewers, so often feel entitled to employ–I think this is a similar judgmental gaze through which we, as a society, feel allows us to scrutinize women. If we view this film honestly, and give its magic a real interpretation instead of something created to "make us cry" or "be a tearjerker", this is when we will see its power. Magda envisions her happiness, she visualizes the goodness even when it is not physically there, and she sources joy from those around her. That is magical and it is real.
Thank you for making this film. I cannot wait to tell my mom about it.
Dr. Kildare's After School Special Fairytale
caramia200215 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Que the 10star reviews (and many calling it "realistic"; like what aspect is realistic?)? If you remember the Dr. Kildare American TV series from the early 60s (the magical, incredibly handsome doctor (played by the wonderful actor, Richard Chamberlain) who got intimately involved in his patients' lives (but never sang to his patients, tg, although he could)), then this is the modern version, only worse and more unrealistic, if that is even possible. So outdated, saccharine, fantastical, and insulting to all sick people, but esp to cancer patients. The last cancer movie I saw where a terminal patient was perfectly healthy until she suddenly died was made in the late 80s (Six Weeks). With the frank looks at breasts and exams in the beginning, I thought it was going to be refreshingly realistic. But no, don't waste your time. But no, this movie shows how you can be deathly ill and only lose your hair, have lung cancer but never lose a breath, and so on and on, and ON.
I only watched it until the end because of the incredible charisma of Cruz and I also love Luis Tosar. But I can't believe this director and cast put up with such a banal and fantastical script. And I don't think it would have helped if I understood more Spanish. The script is so simple that even my 2yrs of high school Spanish could almost do without subtitles.
It's just insulting for the medical establishment, no matter where you live, and in this case, the public system, no less, to be portrayed as giving tranquilizers on the spot for bad news (how lovely!), having one singing gyno do EVERY surgery and procedure (would have been at least 5 specialists in the US) and making sure the beautiful Penelope jumps in line and always gets personal attention from him, even so far as coming to her house and on her VACATION to examine her! So, even portly, older women patients of his get this kind of treatment? Yeah, right. I mean, what planet are the people from who rated this over 4stars? And it is too many for them to be scam reviews. I bet 99% of them are old enough to fondly fantasize over Dr. Kildare. Yes, we all can have such a happy ever after as Magda, Dani, and Arturo did. Strange that Magda had NO, like NONE, NOT ONE friend, 1 family member, I guess, who we see for 15sec (or was that a vision of Arturo's dead wife?). Same for Arturo, who conveniently loses his wife and daughter so he can be with Magda and NOT TAX THE WRITERS ONE BIT. Just how young is Dani that he can't be told where babies come from and needs "put to bed" every night? The actor looks at least 12. Oh, oh, oh, and of course, according to soccer scout Arturo, Dani is going to be a pro soccer player when he grows up. Not to mention the fantasy of many boys of having a pro scout for his step-father. Why didn't they win the lottery, too? Perhaps celebrity and life everlasting, too... I think the writers slipped up on those counts. If the filmmaker was truly wanting to make a modern fairytale, then it could have been done, and so much better, but this is not it. Oh, yeah, Arturo was impotent, or *something*, but magically able to get Magda preggers the night he is suddenly cured of this? Or was he really that repulsed at her lack of two breasts as the writers made him out to be? What kind of a terrible message is that, esp after all the frank breasts talk. I am just so irritated and will never watch such a highly rated film again without looking at the negative reviews, which would have told me the truth. I hope my review steers at least one person clear of this ridiculous excuse for a modern film. At LEAST they didn't get all religious, too. But then I would have turned it right off, so perhaps it would have been better!
I only watched it until the end because of the incredible charisma of Cruz and I also love Luis Tosar. But I can't believe this director and cast put up with such a banal and fantastical script. And I don't think it would have helped if I understood more Spanish. The script is so simple that even my 2yrs of high school Spanish could almost do without subtitles.
It's just insulting for the medical establishment, no matter where you live, and in this case, the public system, no less, to be portrayed as giving tranquilizers on the spot for bad news (how lovely!), having one singing gyno do EVERY surgery and procedure (would have been at least 5 specialists in the US) and making sure the beautiful Penelope jumps in line and always gets personal attention from him, even so far as coming to her house and on her VACATION to examine her! So, even portly, older women patients of his get this kind of treatment? Yeah, right. I mean, what planet are the people from who rated this over 4stars? And it is too many for them to be scam reviews. I bet 99% of them are old enough to fondly fantasize over Dr. Kildare. Yes, we all can have such a happy ever after as Magda, Dani, and Arturo did. Strange that Magda had NO, like NONE, NOT ONE friend, 1 family member, I guess, who we see for 15sec (or was that a vision of Arturo's dead wife?). Same for Arturo, who conveniently loses his wife and daughter so he can be with Magda and NOT TAX THE WRITERS ONE BIT. Just how young is Dani that he can't be told where babies come from and needs "put to bed" every night? The actor looks at least 12. Oh, oh, oh, and of course, according to soccer scout Arturo, Dani is going to be a pro soccer player when he grows up. Not to mention the fantasy of many boys of having a pro scout for his step-father. Why didn't they win the lottery, too? Perhaps celebrity and life everlasting, too... I think the writers slipped up on those counts. If the filmmaker was truly wanting to make a modern fairytale, then it could have been done, and so much better, but this is not it. Oh, yeah, Arturo was impotent, or *something*, but magically able to get Magda preggers the night he is suddenly cured of this? Or was he really that repulsed at her lack of two breasts as the writers made him out to be? What kind of a terrible message is that, esp after all the frank breasts talk. I am just so irritated and will never watch such a highly rated film again without looking at the negative reviews, which would have told me the truth. I hope my review steers at least one person clear of this ridiculous excuse for a modern film. At LEAST they didn't get all religious, too. But then I would have turned it right off, so perhaps it would have been better!
Honest and Moving
tj-1549930 August 2018
It bears mentioning that there are many critics and viewers alike who have criticized the film for being melodramatic and maudlin. I would counter that in fact the film is realistic. If you have had the misfortune of being impacted by cancer let alone an advanced stage cancer or if you have lost a loved one to cancer, then you very well know, the whole thing is a tragedy and it's sad and sentimental. This desire to remove the elements of humanity that we find it taboo to express is stupid and counterproductive. Cancer is sad and it's tragic and there are infinite ways to convey this but this film is no more sentimental or tragic than dying from or losing someone you love from cancer. You want a dry unsentimental look at cancer? Head on over to WebMd. You want an honest portrayal of a woman who has to come to terms with her mortality? Press play.
A monstreous story
harrihuttunen21 March 2018
Penelope Cruz is a great actress.
nikkd16 September 2015
This movie is filled with a lot of emotions, and being Spanish they even managed to throw in a little Soccer lol.
The acting was incredible, from Penelope, to her supporting cast, to the child actors. I enjoyed the way the movie took us away at times to an almost dream like state.
The comic relief was on the ball. Based on the topic at hand this was obviously not a comedy, but as in real life from time to time laughter is the best medicine. I gave the movie 8 stars but I think that most people who are movie aficionados will give it a higher ranking. I have a feeling that this one might get an Oscar nod, lets see how that turns out.
I especially liked the few twists and turns it had. It jeeps you paying attention and on your toes right up to the last scene in the movie.
Make sure to see it and make sure to most post your thoughts.
The acting was incredible, from Penelope, to her supporting cast, to the child actors. I enjoyed the way the movie took us away at times to an almost dream like state.
The comic relief was on the ball. Based on the topic at hand this was obviously not a comedy, but as in real life from time to time laughter is the best medicine. I gave the movie 8 stars but I think that most people who are movie aficionados will give it a higher ranking. I have a feeling that this one might get an Oscar nod, lets see how that turns out.
I especially liked the few twists and turns it had. It jeeps you paying attention and on your toes right up to the last scene in the movie.
Make sure to see it and make sure to most post your thoughts.
Great, moving film
alehd16 October 2020
Not quite sure about the negative reviews completely tearing this one up as "unrealistic"... You all can't stand the idea of someone going through a disease without watching them in total misery? Not everyone's experience is the same, this was such a beautiful story to me. Never once did I think, "Wow, this is what all cancer patients must go through". My mother went through cancer as well. And no, I don't wish to see every portrayal of it with the protagonist suffering 24/7. Penelope Cruz is excellent, I loved this.
The Human Spirit is Amazing
gagica-170923 June 2020
This movie brought me to tears. It was so well-done. It reinforces the belief that the human spirit and especially that of women is strong beyond measure. The very strong male characters in this film also made the movie so much warmer. If you like dramas I highly recommend this movie. P.S. I am not a professional movie reviewer by trade so I apologize if you were expecting a more technical and complicated one.
'' Now that was a movie!''
mdegeler30 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Penélope Cruz and Julio Medem really got a home-run with this movie.
This is an absolute masterpiece depicting the raw struggle of a mother fighting cancer and all the emotions that accompany such a dire journey. Ma ma really captures the essence of Spanish caring culture, something I feel grateful to have experienced in my time living in Spain. If for any unfathomable reason you haven't seen Ma ma yet, I will not spoil the plot be saying more. If you're doubting about watching this movie, unless you hate great camera-work and an exceptional plot, I fully recommend watching it.
This is an absolute masterpiece depicting the raw struggle of a mother fighting cancer and all the emotions that accompany such a dire journey. Ma ma really captures the essence of Spanish caring culture, something I feel grateful to have experienced in my time living in Spain. If for any unfathomable reason you haven't seen Ma ma yet, I will not spoil the plot be saying more. If you're doubting about watching this movie, unless you hate great camera-work and an exceptional plot, I fully recommend watching it.
Briliant Touching film
alrodbel26 July 2021
This film is not in the category of entertainment. It transports the viewer into experiencing a degree of pain, of emotional suffering, embodied by Penelope Cruz, that is unique in my movie going experience.
The review here "Real Magical Realism" is by a woman who experienced the same suffering when her own mother was afflicted with a disease similar to the one in this movie.
This film, moving and brilliant with no comparisons, transcends the genre of movies, so may not connect with many, but it will be so much more for others. It was filmed on a standard that is not compatible to US disk players, so it's only on Amazon, where it can be rented or purchased.
It is for those who have known emotional suffering and managed to transform the pain into an incentive to enrich other's lives.
This is cinematography in the service not of entertainment, but of the challenges, of profound pain, being subordinated to genuine love of a child, a lover and a friend.
The review here "Real Magical Realism" is by a woman who experienced the same suffering when her own mother was afflicted with a disease similar to the one in this movie.
This film, moving and brilliant with no comparisons, transcends the genre of movies, so may not connect with many, but it will be so much more for others. It was filmed on a standard that is not compatible to US disk players, so it's only on Amazon, where it can be rented or purchased.
It is for those who have known emotional suffering and managed to transform the pain into an incentive to enrich other's lives.
This is cinematography in the service not of entertainment, but of the challenges, of profound pain, being subordinated to genuine love of a child, a lover and a friend.
This movie celebrates life!
minapoler29 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in years. It has it all: From the acting with beautiful Penelope Cruz, kid and both men, to the picture, music, theme, realization. It should win an Oscar. It also creates awareness for women in many levels. We sure know we all gone die one day. We just know when?, if we could know? what would we do? This movie invites to that thinking process. Even though the protagonist dies, this movie celebrates life in every possible way. There is also a bit of dreams symbolism which adds interest and a magic touch. MAMA, the word for breast in Spanish,is the source, origin of life, MAMA accentuated in the last A is also the same word we use to call for mother. This movie explores the core of human values at its best! Kudos for the producers, we need more movies like this one!
Who created us like to play ...
shatguintruo16 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Beautiful film. Written and directed by Julio Medem and with a magnificent interpretation of Asier Etxeandia (Dr. Julian) the story is conveyed to the end without any lapses of continuity or fragmentation of the narrative. Nor could it be otherwise, given that Medem is formed in psychiatry, hence the result meaningful glances between Dr. Julian and Magda (Penelope Cruz). As conscious texture "human soul" is what Julio Medem which certainly demanded of actors such "interpretive masks." Penelope Cruz needs no introduction. Actress that every film grows in understanding of her portrayal of characters, in my opinion, is the culmination of her career, at least so far. Ranges from despair, anger, conformation to rediscovery of love. Luis Tosar (Arturo), perfect in the first scene in the hospital where his wife lay in a deep coma. Looking lost, sobbing, embracing Magda (diagnosed with cancer in the right breast) that forgets his own suffering, to comfort a human being who suffers more than her. The end ... Ah! the end is anthological: Magda faces death with open eyes, a mixture of surprise and anxiety to glimpse what is to come and Natasha opens her eyes to life, as if thanking the one that gave her an opportunity to live the experiences to come in this world, with all its unspeakable evils, but also with all its sensory pleasures. On a scale of 1 to 10, my vote is 9 (excellent)
Well Done Movie
ThomasColquith11 January 2022
"Ma ma" is a very good film that deals with universal issues regarding life, death, and illness, thus it is relatable, important, and moving though necessarily sad at times. I especially liked the song toward the end. It is an honest heartfelt movie anchored by another terrific performance by Penelope Cruz. I would recommend. My rating: 8/10.
A true (painfull) way of the cross for me that i inflicted only because of Pené (web)
leplatypus16 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
As a kid, i was terrified by vampire, haunted mansion movies, every dark forces taking up homes and families! As an adult, i can be still as much scared by movies but now they deal with illness. I'm more than half deaf, very fragile, prone to stupid accidents so as a hypochondriac, i stay away for all those medical, ER movies ! I have already skip the one with Hilary and Emmy and i really hesitated to go with this one ! But i follow Pené's career for almost 20 years now and as she is a dedicated, authentic, strong, caring woman, i go along nevertheless but it was really hard
In fact, i watched it in two times and you'll figure easily the moment i stopped the 1st time. Since she is a real mother, she has discovered a new field for expression and she has never been so moving than here ! That's really the branch i grasped all along the movie, watching her smile, hug, be active
In addition, this movie taught me one thing too : Her husband prays in front of a crucifix hanged in their bedroom wall. From now, i can do the same with the picture i put over a push button because i never got the idea to do it before! Gracias Pené but Por Favor, just 1 movie like this and no more !!
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