The Film
A mother lives an empty life after giving a child up for adoption. A daughter grows up cold and alone because of adoption. A young couple embarks on the adoption process. Three stories intertwine in Mother and Child on Blu-ray. In this long two-plus hours you'll see how the women in the story are affected by adoption and motherhood. However you never really feel for the characters or their hardships.
For another look at generations of Mother and Child read David Kempler's review.
The Picture
A sun-washed Los Angeles is the backdrop for the film but it is hardly an angelic looking picture. In this 2.35:1 transfer, nothing is extraordinary beyond everyday life and events of the story. Skin tones appear realistic and the background is rendered in good detail if sometimes a little washed out. There are some notable visual moments, specifically one scene that features Karen (Annette Bening) walking out of her house and down the street to another house, all of which takes place in one single shot without cuts, spanning a total of about a minute. This is about all the visual highlights in this bleak-looking film.
The Sound
In most cases, the dialog is clear but is often a little too focused from the center channel, so much so I though momentarily that perhaps this was a retro mono audio track. But no, it is billed as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I just wonder what use was made of those extra four (point one) channels. On the plus side, the music cues, which rely heavily on a simple piano score to build tension throughout the film, make effective use of the lossless audio, without spoiling or detrating from any of the on-screen interaction between characters. Overall, though, the sound is essentially flat.
The Extras
Mother and Child is light on extras. There are deleted scenes and two features that are both of the "making of" variety. Both features, "Creating the Family Tree" and "Universally Connected" offer a look behind the scenes and show interviews and commentary with the director and other cast and crew of the film. Deleted scenes offer some insight, but in a movie that runs just over two hours, and already feels rather long, do we really need or want to watch more?
Final Thoughts
Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia says in one of the making of interviews that he worked on the story for over 10 years. It feels like in that time too much was brought to the table instead of making a concise story that grabs viewers and leaves a meaningful impression once the credits roll. The ending ties up in a neat fashion, bringing a poignant end to the story. But getting to the end is a battle.
Product Details
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