Movie Review: Mama (2013)

My father was adopted, so I have known from an early age that parenthood is not defined by blood. My grandparents did what all good parents do; they clothed, fed, protected and loved my father. As I have gotten older and experienced more of the world, I have been able to verify repeatedly that actions determine the quality of the parents, not the mere fact of being related by genes. What traits make the best mother? Do you have to give birth in order to be a good mother? Mama, the first feature from Andres Muschietti, explores the idea of motherhood and attempts to answer these questions.

The film is based on a short made in 2008 that got the attention of Guillermo del Toro. Made to show the skills of Muschietti, the short, also called Mama, shows two girls running away from a menacing dark figure, a presence they called “Mama.” The film expands on their story. Abandoned in a cabin in the woods by their father, the girls are protected by a spirit, Mama. Knowing about the presence from the beginning satiates the audience’s hunger for knowing what type of supernatural force is in the film. We don’t have as much knowledge of Mama as the girls, but we know more than the others trying to bring them back to civilization.

Pacing of a horror film is crucial, and the ebb and flow of the scares is executed masterfully in the film. The film takes care to reveal Mama in pieces to build suspense, so to fully describe her to you would spoil a majority of the film. Not all of the frights come from seeing Mama. Lilly laughing as she plays with Mama, who is offscreen, as Annabel approaches the girls’ room creates tension because we don’t know if Annabel will see Mama. Mama has infiltrated the lives of Victoria and Lilly completely; we don’t have to see Mama to know this. Mama can act when she wants, and when she does, the scares don’t disappoint. When Mama is fully revealed, the confrontation between Annabel and Mama’s grotesque form is frightening and chilling.

 

Our view of Mama is shaped by the children, and the performances of the children make us believe in Mama’s love for them. Victoria (Megan Charpentier) was three and Lilly (Isabelle Nelisse) was one when they were abandoned, and they were cared for by Mama for five years. Because of her age, Victoria remembers civilization, while Lilly’s memories are of the woods. Charpentier has the burden of showing us Victoria’s conflict; she is grateful to Mama, but she is comfortable being back in a room with a bed, having shoes and clothes, and wearing her glasses. There are many moments Charpentier reveals Victoria’s dilemma, but one that impressed me was a simple scene in the bathroom. Victoria can’t open a jar; Annabel enters and wants to help her. Victoria won’t let her because she is worried about how Mama will react. She wants Annabel’s help, but she wants to protect Annabel as well. The way Charpentier moves to avoid Annabel’s touch and the pain on her face conveys how Victoria internalizes her conflict. Annabel is confused, but because we know about Mama, we know the torment Victoria has inside of her and her necessity to hide it. Nelisse does a wonderful job of incorporating Lilly’s feral nature seamlessly into her body movements. I never doubted Lilly spent five years in the wilderness with the way she crawls on all fours, climbs swiftly, and eats moths. Charpentier and Nelisse only cry when the moment is earned, avoid all the clichés of bad child actors, and have great chemistry.

Victoria’s conflict is between two types of mothers. After the girls are found, they live with their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain). Lucas is injured, so Annabel has to take care of the girls so he doesn’t lose custody. Chastain takes a thin character, the reluctant mother, and deepens her, giving Annabel a true arc. In lesser hands we would not believe Annabel’s transformation. Annabel is against a woman who has given birth. She has to learn how to be a mother; she has to want to be a mother. At the beginning of the film, Annabel doesn’t want children, and she is clearly putting up with Victoria and Lilly to make Lucas happy. Fortunately there is not a scene with Annabel having this sudden revelation, taking the girls into her arms, and declaring “I want to be your mommy!” Instead, the journey from cool rocker to family woman is subtle. Chastain slowly softens her expression and relaxes her body during the course of the film, making when she starts to take action on behalf of the girls genuine.

 

Without the performances and pacing Mama has, the ending would not work. The action rises to an ending that shocked me, but when I recalled how the relationships developed, I realized that the ending was earned. I can’t believe the film went the direction it did, but the film is stronger for taking that risk.

Mama is a riveting supernatural thriller with chills and heart-pounding scares. The film surprised me by being more than a scary ghost story. The plight of the sisters and Annabel’s growth as a person created an emotional experience I was not expecting. Extreme circumstances can forge a bond between adult and child that can transcend the traditional definitions of motherhood. Mama not only shows what can happen when the bond is tested and threatened, but also validates what the child wants. Sometimes adults know what is best, but the film makes you consider that children might know what is best for them, no matter how old they are.