Critical MeMe

Time spent watching films, even crappy ones, is time well-spent.

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Location: Oklahoma City, OK, United States
    Post dates are when I watched, parenthetical dates are the year of US release (aka Oscar eligibility).

11/06/2012

Mother and Child (2010)

First of all, the casting was extraordinary.  Just look at this girl they found to play a younger version of Annette Bening's character.  I was halfway surprised, when I checked out IMDb, that the two don't seem to be related.

Second, this is a truly moving film.  Karen (Bening) gives birth at age 14 and must immediately give her daughter up for adoption.  Karen has turned into a brittle, lonely woman living with her own mother. Meanwhile, her daughter is now about 37 and is also alone, but by apparent choice -- choosing to manipulate and use men rather than to actually choose one long term.  There's a third storyline about a couple trying to adopt a child and moving forward with a pregnant teenager who's got issues of her own.

Mother and Child was, perhaps, a little too "neat" when all was said and done, but the getting there was anything but.  This is a quality movie with some amazing acting and really worth a watch.

B+

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