Mafia Mamma

I get that this was meant to be a farce, and I admit, I had a few good laughs. But I felt like the whole concept needed to push the envelope a bit more, maybe even venture into the brutal side of things and over-the-top humor. That didn't happen here. Toni Collette was mostly just painfully awkward, and the plot contrivances were more annoying than anything. (2023-11-25)

Yeah, this is exactly the kind of movie that you feel from the first minutes that it's just going to be a good time. Toni Collette is a neglected 40-something forgotten in the whirlwind of hectic America who is unexpectedly invited to her Italian grandfather's funeral. But instead of sex, pasta and wine, she is given the hereditary position of head of a mafia family and the fun can begin. The whole development is bonkers, I giggled almost constantly and even though there's nothing downright diaphragm-ripping, the film comes off as a light-hearted parody of Italian gangster movies and the substitution of drug dealing for medicine dealing or the ways in which the mafia mamma "murders" her rivals are hilarious to say the least. The biggest hit for me personally are her two goofy bodyguards, who are strikingly reminiscent of Tweedledum and Tweedledee in their (lack of)intelligence, and who are simply impossible not to root for or at least like. All in all, this is a totally chill comedy starring a fine Collette which doesn't smack of any lofty ambition or goals to break the boundaries of the top films of 2023, but instead oozes pure desire to entertain and tap into the serious genre of Italian gangsters. I had a great time. (2023-05-04)

At first, I had to get used to this strange, situationally awkward character of Toni Collette, which I fortunately managed after a while, but my feelings about this specific comedy were still up and down. One scene is great, the next borders on awkwardness, and so on and so forth. It can be argued that Catherine Hardwicke is not a very skillful director and cannot compose scenes to have the desired effect. However, you can give it a chance and maybe you will enjoy it. All in all, it was quite a pleasant story that at least pleased with a fresh theme. But if someone less talented than Toni Collette played in it, I probably wouldn't give it even three stars. (2023-06-25)

A laid-back gangster comedy about how an ordinary woman becomes the head of a mafia family from one day to the next. Funny, well acted and swingingly Italian. However, the action is mediocre and it doesn't excel on any level, unfortunately, but it doesn't offend. Pure average. (2023-05-10)