MA MA

Spain, 2015, 111 minutes, Colour.
Penelope Cruz, Luis Tosar, Asier Etxeandia, Teo Planell.
Directed by Julio Medem.

Ma Ma is a star vehicle for Penelope Cruz, seen as a middle-aged woman, bringing up her young son, her professor husband leaving her for younger students.

The film is particularly designed for a female audience because of Magda, the central character, discovering she has breast cancer, undergoing diagnoses, treatment, surgery for the removal of a breast, a temporary recovery, the recurrence of the cancer, her having six months to live. The film has a perspective that encourages some optimism even in the face of illness and death.

By chance, watching her son playing football, she sits next to a football scout who receives news of an accident, the death of his daughter and his wife in coma. Magda helps and continues to visit the bereaved husband, despite her illness, until his wife's death.

The two become dependent on each other and the young son accepts the scout as a father figure who encourages him in his football. There are happy scenes of holidays at the sea.

The surgeon is significant, married, but bisexual, intending to adopt a young girl from Siberia. It emerges that he knows the scout because they have visited a sex club and shared experiences. Magda decides that she would like to go to the sex club, encounter men and she becomes pregnant, intending to call her daughter Natalie after the young girl from Siberia.

It is an understatement to say that Penelope Cruz is radiant on the screen and that this means that the film could have quite an impact on women who are experiencing breast cancer, encouraging them to have hope and courage.

1. The impact of this film about breast cancer, about illness and death, about pregnancy and family? For a women's audience? For a men's audience?

2. The Spanish settings, homes, doctor’s offices, surgery, holidays at the sea, the football matches and stadium? The sex club?

3. The portrait of Magda? Penelope Cruz and her screen presence? Her age, her husband leaving her for younger women, her bringing up her son? The visit to the doctor, breast cancer and her mother's death, leaving the visit till late, the tests, the diagnoses, the treatment? Her mental state? Going to the football, her lack of interest, her supporting her son? Meeting Arturo? His news, her helping him to the hospital, the death of his daughter, his wife in a coma? Magda and her continued support of Arturo? Her sending her son away for the summer, the football, his phone calls? Her surgery, the removal of her breast, the effect on her, the medication? The psychological effect? The treatment, her hair, shaving her head?

4. Supporting Arturo and the death of his wife, his grief? Magda's support? His interest in her son, football? Their going away for a holiday together, the effect on each of them, sexual attraction, Platonic behaviour? Arturo becoming a father-figure for Dani?

5. Magda and the contact with her husband, his attitude towards her illness? The further diagnosis, six months to live? The effect on Magda? And her relationship with Arturo, with her son? Telling her husband and his asking forgiveness?

6. The story about The Origin of the World, Arturo going there with his wife, meeting the surgeon there, sexual permissiveness, Magda wanting to go, with the doctor, his song, the three men, the sexual behaviour, her pregnancy?

7. The importance of the surgeon and his thinking of adopting the Russian girl, the opening of the film with her walking in the snow, her picture on the surgeon's desk, the girl from Siberia?

8. Magda and her wanting to call her daughter Natalie, the magic realism sequences of imagining the girl in the house, with her son?

9. The football sequences and the talent of her son? The serious discussions about belief in God, Magda’s explanations, the issue of life after death and the soul?

10. The anniversary holiday, at the beach, Magda visibly pregnant? Her preparation to death, Arturo ready, her son ready?

11. With the surgeon, the Caesarean operation, the birth of the daughter, Arturo and Dani with the little girl? And Magda's death?