MAMACRUZ Review: A Late In Life Coming-Of-Age Film With A Dynamite Lead Performance [Sundance]
Cruz (Kiti Mánver) watches her telenovela with great interest, inching off the couch slightly, leaning into the passionate romantic embrace of the characters on screen. Her excitement ends quickly as she's startled back to reality by her husband's thunderous snores. Cruz is a deeply religious woman, a devout follower of Catholicism. Their granddaughter is staying with them in Spain while their daughter's lifelong dream of being a dancer is coming to fruition in Vienna. Along with Cruz's granddaughter comes something new to Cruz — the internet.
One fateful night, Cruz is looking up information on Vienna, but a pop-up leads her to an accidental discovery: pornography. It horrifies Cruz, who shoves the tablet under a pillow with the speed of an Olympic athlete, lights a candle and prays at her altar to try and cleanse herself of the sin she's fallen into.
Control has always been a big part of Cruz's life. From her uptight Catholic upbringing to the controlling way she speaks to her daughter, Cruz has closed herself off to live the life of a dutiful wife. She's especially controlling when speaking to her daughter, being quite critical in that distinctly mothering way that makes a parent feel like they can say anything without repercussion. This control isn't just part of her personality, but it manifests physically, as Cruz wears a tight corset to maintain an ideal shape. It's clear how uncomfortable it makes her, but her routine has become deeply ingrained through all her years that she can't imagine a life without it. Despite all of this, Cruz cannot get the pornography out of her mind.
Director Patricia Ortega (who co-wrote the script) sets up repetitive shots and sequences that highlight the lack of excitement in Cruz's life, and the mundanity of her routine that's taken over her existence. Numerous striking shots of Cruz preparing for bed, a split frame with her snoring husband on one side and her undressing on the other, make it clear that there's not a shred of romance in her life, let alone any sexual activity.
Pornography begins to become a part of Cruz's life. Each night she sneaks out of bed — not a difficult task considering how loud her husband's snores are — and explores the world of internet porn. She continues to light a candle each time, but her altar is running out of space. There's a shift in Cruz's life; she begins to watch videos with tips on how to be flirty and sexy, and she starts dressing in ways that accentuate her shape instead of hiding it. She's pushing herself out of her comfort zone, and being rebuked by her husband when she tries to reignite intimacy isn't going to stop her on her journey of self-discovery.
"MAMACRUZ" is a celebration of a woman embracing feelings she's locked away her whole life. Coming-of-age films typically focus on teenagers, but who's to say you can't come of age as a grandparent? There's no arbitrary age for life to stop, and it's never too late to discover something new, and live life on your own terms. It's incredibly rare to see a journey of sexual freedom begin in late adulthood, and there's plenty of opportunity to laugh about it, and it would be easy to make Cruz a joke. But Ortega has no interest in hitting below the belt (pun absolutely intended). This is a quiet, reserved, and observational film that has nothing but respect and admiration for Cruz.
Embracing life on her own terms
There's a clear contrast between this new journey for Cruz and her friends. Also strict Catholics, they're shown to be judgemental and condescending, as Cruz observes them insulting someone for having the nerve to try and advertise sex therapy in the sacred church. The church is shot to emphasize its immense scale, and the power it holds over Cruz and the other constituents. Other spaces feel warm and comfortable, but the church is overwhelming, cleverly signifying that the church may not be the safe space for Cruz she's always believed it to be. "MAMACRUZ" certainly examines the idea of Catholic guilt and the pressure religion has on Cruz, but it never overwhelms the story — this is a film about Cruz first and foremost, and it's all the better for it.
Cruz makes her way to the aforementioned sex therapy, and after shedding some nerves, she immediately finds a community of like-minded women of all ages. The film's normally dull color palette fades way to an almost kaleidoscopic burst of color when Cruz joins the group. It's a visually striking moment: Cruz has found her people, and it's a beautiful thing.
"MAMACRUZ" never feels contrived. It's a very naturally flowing movie that's more observant than dramatically driven. But I was never bored watching, and the director immerses you in Cruz's world slowly and steadily, and it's a world I didn't want to leave.
In a late confrontation with Cruz's husband, he tells her "You're too old for this crap." Cruz responds, "We might be old, but I still feel things. Even if you see me as a flowerpot." It's a powerful sentiment — Cruz has evolved over the course of the film in tremendous fashion, and she's no longer interested in a life without passion. Mánver is astonishing as Cruz. The film gives the accomplished actress plenty of opportunities to shine. It's such a committed and warm performance, and a willingness to really dive deep into the psyche of her character means you won't be able to get her out of your head.
This is a gorgeous, life-affirming exploration of life that delivers a strong and valuable message that life is for living. "MAMACRUZ" also functions as a delightful rebuke of recent hagsploitation cinema, which turns old women into something grotesque, something to be feared. It's incredibly refreshing to see the very opposite — women of a certain age unabashedly celebrated, right up until the breathtaking final shot.
/Film Rating: 8 out of 10