MAMACRUZ (2023)
Within society, few topics are as confusing and complex as sex. While sex is a nearly universal urge that ends up dictating much of humanities growth and development, it also is widely repressed and attacked with religious morals causing the urge to carry the weight and stigmatism of being impure and wrong. With the rise of the internet and a shifting of ideals, a sexual revolution is upon society with Patricia Ortega's MAMACRUZ being a clear love letter to this. Screening as part of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, MAMACRUZ sees the 70-year old and religious Cruz, played by Kiti Mánver, come into contact with the ideas of orgasms and sexual pleasure from both the internet and her friends. Cruz is uncomfortable with this but begins to explore this desire more and more finding an ultimate catharsis in her own sexuality.
MAMACRUZ is both an incredibly entertaining and moving feature which owes much of its success to the lead performance by Kiti Mánver who immediately begins the new conversation for Best Lead Actress. Mánver is innocent and charming in a way that feels authentic and never forced. As she goes outside her comfort zone and struggles through conversations surrounding orgasms and sexual fantasies, the film is naturally hysterical with certain scenes perfectly playing into the absurdity and extreme that can come from desire. Mánver is not only effective in this role, but also is talented when bringing to life the film's deeper poignance and power. It also should be noted that when it comes to comedy, the natural sexless presence presented by Pepe Quero is wonderful in terms of creating a lovable companion to Cruz that still fails to satisfy her deeper cravings.
MAMACRUZ is ultimately an empowering text regarding the power of female sexuality with the force being seen as a healing and liberating gift. The film might be fun, but it also is incredibly respectful and worshiping of the vagina with a worthy usage of religious iconography and ideals being given to the depiction of the emotion. The screenplay by Patricia Ortega and José Ortuño clearly holds a love for female sexuality and the take is clearly worthwhile. While a recontextualization of female sexuality is nothing new, it is important to have texts like MAMACRUZ that can push the representation seen in stories like this. The film is not just about female sexuality, but about older female sexuality. It is about female sexuality within religious women; female sexuality in Spanish households. MAMACRUZ is a loving look at the intersectionality of these identities in relation to sexual freedom with a voice that demands to be heard and one that holds incredibly modern weight and power. Films like MAMACRUZ need to be made by filmmakers with authentic takes on the topic.
Technically, the film is also a strong cinematic outing. The editing by Fátima de los Santos merges the film's various identities together flawlessly with a real artistic lens given to the moments of desire and sexual pleasure which often is reduced to being something crude or uncomfortable. These scenes transform the physical feature itself to match the release of the orgasm in a way that is highly unique and effective. The cinematography by Fran Fernández Pardo is equally vital as a real tenderness is given to the film and moments where Cruz embraces the lust she experiences.
Established by Sophie Hyde's Good Luck to You, Leo Grande in 2022, MAMACRUZ continues Sundance's new tradition of embracing beautiful and loving looks at aging female sexuality. Largely thanks to both an excellent screenplay and lead performance, MAMACRUZ is both a funny and liberating cinematic expression that immediately jumps high into the rankings of what is on offer at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
MAMACRUZ is both an incredibly entertaining and moving feature which owes much of its success to the lead performance by Kiti Mánver who immediately begins the new conversation for Best Lead Actress. Mánver is innocent and charming in a way that feels authentic and never forced. As she goes outside her comfort zone and struggles through conversations surrounding orgasms and sexual fantasies, the film is naturally hysterical with certain scenes perfectly playing into the absurdity and extreme that can come from desire. Mánver is not only effective in this role, but also is talented when bringing to life the film's deeper poignance and power. It also should be noted that when it comes to comedy, the natural sexless presence presented by Pepe Quero is wonderful in terms of creating a lovable companion to Cruz that still fails to satisfy her deeper cravings.
MAMACRUZ is ultimately an empowering text regarding the power of female sexuality with the force being seen as a healing and liberating gift. The film might be fun, but it also is incredibly respectful and worshiping of the vagina with a worthy usage of religious iconography and ideals being given to the depiction of the emotion. The screenplay by Patricia Ortega and José Ortuño clearly holds a love for female sexuality and the take is clearly worthwhile. While a recontextualization of female sexuality is nothing new, it is important to have texts like MAMACRUZ that can push the representation seen in stories like this. The film is not just about female sexuality, but about older female sexuality. It is about female sexuality within religious women; female sexuality in Spanish households. MAMACRUZ is a loving look at the intersectionality of these identities in relation to sexual freedom with a voice that demands to be heard and one that holds incredibly modern weight and power. Films like MAMACRUZ need to be made by filmmakers with authentic takes on the topic.
Technically, the film is also a strong cinematic outing. The editing by Fátima de los Santos merges the film's various identities together flawlessly with a real artistic lens given to the moments of desire and sexual pleasure which often is reduced to being something crude or uncomfortable. These scenes transform the physical feature itself to match the release of the orgasm in a way that is highly unique and effective. The cinematography by Fran Fernández Pardo is equally vital as a real tenderness is given to the film and moments where Cruz embraces the lust she experiences.
Established by Sophie Hyde's Good Luck to You, Leo Grande in 2022, MAMACRUZ continues Sundance's new tradition of embracing beautiful and loving looks at aging female sexuality. Largely thanks to both an excellent screenplay and lead performance, MAMACRUZ is both a funny and liberating cinematic expression that immediately jumps high into the rankings of what is on offer at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.