Mama Review

Rated PG-13 (Violence and Terror, Some Disturbing Images and Thematic Elements)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes

Cast-

Jessica Chastain-Annabel

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau-Lucas/Jeffrey

Megan Charpentier-Victoria

Isabelle Nélisse-Lilly

Daniel Kash-Dr. Gerald Dreyfuss

Jane Moffat-Jean Podolski/Mama (voice)

Javier Botet-Mama

Hannah Cheesman-Mama (flashback)

Morgan McGarry-Young Victoria

Maya Dawe/Sierra Dawe-Young Lilly

Directed by Andrés Muschietti

It's the battle of the Mamas in "Mama," the directorial debut of Andrés Muschietti with Guillermo del Toro producing.

Note: Screened on Thursday, January 17, 2013, at AMC Empire 25.

During the panel for Legendary Comics (the comic book division of Legendary Pictures, Inc.) at last year's New York Comic Con, fan-favorite director Guillermo del Toro offered a glimpse of one of his sketchbooks for his upcoming sci-fi summer action film "Pacific Rim," and inside were pages jam-packed with drawings and hand-written notes of his own ideas. This is one of the reasons why del Toro is one of my favorite directors as his sense of imagination and creativity knows no bounds. Always on the lookout for new talent, del Toro has served as an executive producer on numerous projects, lending not only his name but also his talents and resources to many freshman directors. To him, being a producer is a way to 'give back' and help those who just need that extra push, which is something I really admire on his part. The latest film to bear del Toro's name is "Mama," based on the 2008 Spanish-language short film of the same name from Andrés Muschietti. Despite some poor pacing and a reliance on familiar horror conventions, "Mama" remains a strong directorial debut for Muschietti as he skillfully blends old-school scares with macabre visuals yet what makes the film stand out from similar works in its genre is the story, a dark fable that functions as a tragic ode to a mother's enduring love, twisted as it may be. 

A sudden financial meltdown drives a businessman named Jeffrey (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to murder several of his co-workers and his estranged wife. In his mad grief, he abducts his two daughters, Victoria and her little sister Lilly, and flees with them in his car. When Victoria complains to her father that he is driving too fast, Jeffrey yells at her but he then loses control, swerving off the icy road and crashing into a remote area in the woods. They survive and eventually come upon an abandoned cabin. As Jeffrey tearfully prepares to commit a murder/suicide, a strange figure suddenly appears and drags him away screaming. Staring at the figure, Victoria can only see a blur. For the next five years later, Jeffrey's twin brother Lucas (also Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) searches in vain for the girls by putting up his own money. The searchers he hires accidentally stumble upon the crash site and the cabin one afternoon. Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nélisse) are found inside, malnourished and in a feral state, but thankfully alive. They are put under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Gerald Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash) while Lucas and a wealthy aunt (Jane Moffat) from their mother's side fight in court over who gets custody. Wanting to monitor the girls' progress, Dr. Dreyfuss agrees to recommend Lucas as their guardian as long as he agrees to move into a special home used to perform case studies. This arrangement does not sit well with Lucas' girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain) but she goes along with it despite her less-than motherly demeanor. When Lucas is hospitalized after taking a nasty fall down the stairs, Annabel is thrust with the sudden responsibility of taking care of Victoria and Lilly yet it soon becomes clear that a mysterious presence has been watching over the girls and still does, a presence referred to in secretive whispers as 'Mama.' 

While it's easy to dismiss "Mama" as another in a long line of forgettable PG-13 horror films, that would be doing it a disservice as what Muschietti and his writers (which includes his sister Barbara and Neil Cross) have created here is really a dark and twisted fairy tale, a forebodingly whimsy fable about a supernatural presence that is more tragic rather than being wholly evil. It's immediately clear why del Toro wanted to turn Muschietti's short into a feature-length film as motherhood is often a prominent theme in the films he directs and produces. Opening with the classic line 'Once upon a time…,' the prologue establishes a very somber tone as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Jeffrey prepares to murder his daughters before committing suicide. However, something snatches him away and as night creeps into the cabin, the girls sit by the fire with this…creature hovering over them. The opening credits fill the audience in during the intervening five years (represented by children's drawings) and then we're introduced to Lucas and his unconventional girlfriend Annabel, a Goth chick in a go-nowhere rock band. Similar to 2011's "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," "Mama" explores the idea of being a mother but the main difference is that Annabel has no interest in becoming one. In fact, when the pregnancy test comes back negative, she's ecstatic. In one of the more contrived plot devices, Lucas is put into a coma after a deadly encounter with 'Mama,' leaving Annabel as the girls sole guardian. This forms one half of the film's emotional core as the presence of 'Mama' kicks Annabel's maternal instincts into overdrive. The other half concerns the tragic backstory of 'Mama' herself and this is where del Toro's influence is felt the strongest as he's always held a certain affinity toward monsters. His creatures are always wounded in some way and that's what makes them so much more interesting compared to whatever cookie-cutter ghost that Hollywood always comes up with. The question of whether 'Mama' exists is answered early on, so it is her motives and origins that serve as the central mystery. The story soon turns into a battle of two mothers, leading to a rather sad and even bittersweet ending. 

Despite his novice status, Muschietti already displays considerable talent behind the camera, creating a spooky atmosphere by relying on a 'less-is-more' approach. There's a very memorable scene where he juxtaposes his camera with one half showing the hallway and the other the girl's room. As Annabel does her laundry, we see Lilly playfully tugging a sheet with whom we assume is Victoria. When Victoria walks into view from the hallway, it becomes clear that the person in the girl's room is 'Mama.' Muschietti is aided by Antonio Riestra's rich cinematography, full of amber hues that lend the film a homely feel. However, "Mama" does have some serious stumbles and in adapting a three-minute short, the writers have overwritten the story. Some of the subplots aren't sufficiently developed while others are either completely forgotten or abruptly tied-off. The pacing also begins to drag in the latter half as we're treated to repetitive scenes of Annabel being startled in what amounts to a cheap 'jump scare' and the moth symbolism comes across as clichéd. Even the CG used to enhance 'Mama' isn't as seamless one would hope. It may lean on familiar, even tired horror tropes but "Mama" still deserves praise for pushing a deeper emotional connection with its audience when similar films rely on either blood and gore or one lame scare after another. 

This is very unusual role for Jessica Chastain, spending the bulk of the film in heavy eyeliner and tight jeans but I can see why she chose it. Sure, this won't rank as one of Chastain's best performances but her transformation from ambivalent caretaker to fierce protector is handled convincingly due in part to the film's equal emphasis on its characters and the scares. The Kingslayer himself, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is fine, although he's absent from the film far too long before abruptly popping up in the end. The most memorable performances come from the children. Megan Charpentier's Victoria is conflicted between Annabel and 'Mama' while Isabelle Nélisse's Lilly can come off as even more creepy and forms another tragic element to the story as she's unable to integrate back into society. 'Normal' to her is being with 'Mama.' It's all she's ever known. 

Released on January 18, 2013, "Mama" has received mildly positive reviews with 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that those were 'into old-school scares over cheap gore… [will be] able to get over [the film's] confusing script and contrived plot devices.' Unfortunately, the advance screening this past Thursday was almost ruined by immature teenagers and even adults. Honestly, movies should be watched by those who can appreciate them. That'll cut out much of the unruly audience who believe it is their right to shout at the screen. As for the box office, I was originally pegging for Arnold Schwarzenegger's "The Last Stand" to come out on top but it appears that "Mama" will be smothering her love to the tune of $30.5 million, which is already double its production budget. Andrés Muschietti has a few missteps in his first outing as a director but "Mama" is a surprisingly effective horror film, a shining beacon of light in a sea of mediocre January releases. I look forward to seeing what he brings to the table the next time he goes behind the camera.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"A ghost is an emotion bent out of shape condemned to repeat itself time and time again."