Mafia Mamma is a fish out of water story about an American woman named Kristin who has inherited her grandfather’s winery (re: mafia empire). She takes off to Italy to attend his funeral, only to be met by doubt and disbelief. Insecure and with her life falling apart around her, she manages to defy expectations.
Cinema history is filled with bloody monster movies. Mafia Mamma may be a comedy, but there is a surprising amount of graphic violence. The trick here is the film is able to mix humor with brutality. A confrontation Kristin has with a hitman is particularly gross, but never feels out of place due to the silliness of the situation.
Less smooth is the pacing. Kristin’s progression from under-appreciated wife and working woman to full blown mafia mamma continues throughout the film. This does not mean things do not feel rushed, however. She quickly and easily dispatches rival bosses and trained killers and a court trial that looks to be the climax is over before it begins.
Another running theme that is underdeveloped is the idea of women being in control. Along with Kristin, her trusted consigliere Bianca (Monica Bellucci) are capable women who back down from no one. Bianca is portrayed as tough from the opening while Kristin is constantly reinforcing her independence. Unfortunately, Kristin’s transformation does not feel as satisfactory. She is a different woman by the end of Mafia Mamma, but since the story drops this element of the film as when convenient, it almost feels coincidental.
This may be due to the movie being as much about taking control of one’s own life. Kristin is constantly putting other people’s wants in front of her own and each encounter in Mafia Mamma brings her closer to thinking more about what she desires. Ultimately, the heart of the plot is about finding oneself, but the writing does not know how it wants to tell that story.
Mafia Mamma comes to theaters nationwide April 14
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