Mothers and Daughters (2016)

hyped garbage

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I must say I don't get why this movie is scored so low among audience and professional reviewers. I really did enjoy it. It isn't a funny movie, but it isn't listed as a comedy but as drama, so it is not misleading anyone.I liked it because it is not very sensationalist and it is one of the movies that concentrates more on the feelings of people rather than actions. There are a lot of great small stories which all explore the relationships of mothers and daughters in a different way.The cast of this movie is full with stars. One pretty much knows every person on the list. At least when it comes to the female actresses. And they don't disappoint when it comes to acting. I didn't recognize Mira Sorvino at all. And even after reading her name I had trouble seeing her in the actress. But then I think I remember her from about 20 years ago. Was also great to see Sharon Stone again. She was awesome.Susan Sarandon plays the mother of her real life daughter, Eva Amurri Martino. Her performance is just one scene which was shot on Skype, of course as usual great acting. It is actually interesting how the movie shows all the characters constantly talking on video chats. it is part of modern life which shows constant keeping in touch yet distance.One thing I didn't like was Selma Blair's romance. The way it developed and what he said towards the end....Jeez, seemed like some teenage girl wrote a fiction fairy tale.And since there are so many stories there isn't much we get from them. i wish I could watch the whole movie about Courtney Cox and Christina's Ricci's part. Still glad I watched the movie, it even made me cry. Mainly the moment of grandma's letter. it was so well written.

Two directors – Paul Duddrudge who is responsible for the concept of the film (written for the screen by Paige Cameron) and Nigel Levy – are part of the problem of this slight film: if two men are directing a story about several dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships they could easily be the reason the film is so confusingly disjointed.To write a review about the stories in this film would inevitably result in spoilers, if enough facts were strung together to make sense of this mélange. About all that is safe to state is that 'the story is focused on a rock photographer Rigby Gray (Selma Blair) who is riding a career high when an unlikely and unexpected pregnancy forces her to turn her lens inward and see her relationship with her estranged mother with fresh eyes. Through a series of photographs documenting motherhood in all its varieties, she considers what it means to be maternal.Sounds interesting but what gets in the way is the lack of connection between the girls and their mothers – most were either abandoned at birth (or threatening to repeat that gesture with a D&C) or were lied to by their mother about their birth mother, or they're searching for a face to face with a child they haven't seen for years. And to say more would ruin what little suspense there is in what is termed a comedy (!). At times frustrating, at times touching, the actors include (no spoilers here) Selma Blair, Susan Sarandon, Eva Amurri Martino, Christina Ricci, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox, Mira Sorvino, Paul Wesley, Christopher Backus, Paul Adelstein, the very promising Luke Mitchell, Alexandra Daniels, Dave Baez, and many, many more. Some good thoughts, here, but too dissociative to pull off a meaningful film.

This movie is a soap opera that thinks it is a movie. From the very first scene we are hit in the face with wordy, run on drama that never stops. The next scene then introduces a moody, wordy couple, and so does the next scene, and the scene after that. We eventually end up with a cafeteria of moody, wordy, argumentative, frowning characters who each take their turns being moody, wordy, argumentative and frowning.This IS a soap opera. We have the unhappy couple, the person finding out they are adopted, the person dying in a hospital, the fighting over a funeral/will, the person who finds out they are pregnant and the drama goes on and on. Seriously, one could have a drinking game downing shots whenever someone (especially guys) suddenly break into tears. Even the kid characters aren't spared the pained past stain to their dialogue.I don't know where this was filmed but on that planet the people live in perfect homes without dust or signs of wear. AGAIN, just like a soap opera.I honestly do not see how this screenplay managed to secure such a famous and talented cast. However, they are utterly wasted here. It is impossible to like anyone because you can't get to know them. They are always talking, talking, talking. Or crying. Or talking to their computers. God, if someone had a pet in this movie I am sure the screen writer would have written a scene with them having a ten minute, tear filled scene on the floor with it. The cast deserved better to work with.This should have been a soap opera named PMS Hospital.

It's a fresh Comedy, cheering and entertaining. The plot is not original but inspired enough not to leave you disappointed: you'll be easily able to foresee what's coming next but this isn't exactly a pity, if you stop and think about it for a second, in this kind of flicks.The film doesn't offer any new or deep insight about maternal love: it just celebrates it and in doing so it leaves the impression that the story, in the end, is pointless.The overall design reminded me of 'Love Actually (2003)' with the remarkable difference that that movie was mainly about males (plus some beautiful women). Here is the opposite.