Mafia Mamma Review
This chaotic comedy throws you for tonal whiplash throughout, creating a deeply confusing, oft boring but occasionally fun film.
Kristin (Toni Collette) is an American mother. Struggling with the combined pressures of her work, her son moving out to college, and her husband cheating on her, she jumps at the chance to go to Italy to attend her grandfather’s funeral. When she arrives, though, her grandfather’s consigliere Bianca (Monica Bellucci) informs her that not only was her grandfather the head of a mafia family, but that she must now take his place. As she struggles to fit into this culture of violence, assert her leadership, nurture romantic connections with Lorenzo (Giulio Corso) and find honest ways for the organization to earn its keep, she must ultimately decide whether this is the life for her.
Catherine Hardwicke of Twilight fame directs this tonally abusive, completely ridiculous film that shocks in its myriad confusing decisions. Lurching between unfunny comedy and OTT violence like an out of control Vespa, the movie negates any ability to properly engage with it through its sheer ridiculousness.
The bevvy of side characters here are insane. The husband is so completely unlikeable, you’re hoping Kristin will use her newfound power to send him swimming with the fishes. The son, with the actor spitting his few lines through gritted teeth like someone forced him onto the screen, should be the next to join him.
Bellucci’s Bianca gives a bad name to consiglieres. Coming off the back of the term used throughout the John Wick series, here she never brings the level of ‘cool’ that is needed. Sometimes, she is strutting around in all black, looking straight out of The Continental. At other times, she is pointing out a random prosthetic leg - the ultimate deus ex machina - in a way that feels like a bad Mike Meyers or Adam Sandler film.
Plot wise, there is no clear through line at all. It’s a series of events happening to this character, but no obvious joining thread. Usually, you’d see a film set up early the challenge or issue that will be tackled by the end of the film. Here, Hardwicke seems to start down this path, with Kristin being set up as the person who needs to bring peace to the war with the competing families. But Kristin crushes this challenge (and a poor hitmans’ ballsack) early in the film. Then the film takes a weaving journey from plot thread to plot thread, never really landing on one clear one. Kristin has to find love (happens immediately), she needs to identify a non-violent revenue source for the business (happens immediately), and has to revive the wine business (also happens immediately), go through a court battle (immediately wins) and defeat a rival family member (also pretty swift victory). It’s a completely amateurish attempt at story telling, and never hits home in the slightest.
That being said, Toni Collette seems to have a ball with this. Who wouldn’t - filming in beautiful Italy, playing a glamorous mobster. She brings a life and energy to this material that it frankly does not deserve. She deserves better.
