“Madre” by Rodrigo Sorogoyen is a dramatic and psychological narrative, however, it is underpinned by elements worthy of a good suspense. The sensitive portrayal of this mother, who we find 10 years after the events mentioned, leaves a certain mystery regarding her motivations and even her mental stability, in her ambiguous relationship with a teenager who constitutes the main thread of the film.
This traumatized and grieving woman is played to perfection by the delicate Marta Nieto, well supported by a mostly French cast, since the action is set in the Landes. The audience, for once, knows less than the main characters of the plot who are all familiar with this woman nicknamed “the madwoman of the beach.”
This gives an eerie atmosphere to Madre, which sometimes borders on frustration or even annoyance, with even a certain sense of repetition in the film’s narrative. Nevertheless, the film remains fascinating due to the elegance of its direction (the Atlantic Ocean is beautifully shot), its subtle dialogues, and its seamless transitions between French and Spanish.
Madre is far from a disappointment, just a new facet of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s virtuosity, undoubtedly the purest talent to have emerged from Spain in recent years.
