Madre

The result is a head trip in the best way imaginable.

Despite its melancholy bearing, "Madre" is a hopeful meditation on grief and memory.

Marta Nieto in the title role is just fantastic. The nuances of her performance are breathtaking.

It's really fantastically done... There are so many interesting levels in this film.

"Madre" turns out to be the least twisted, and most empathetic, entry in the damaged mother movie canon in some time.

While it engages in this liminal balancing act, the film is a deeply compelling portrait of how intense loss shapes our behavior, our perspective, and most importantly, ourselves.

It's an interesting path that the film takes to explore these themes, but one that, in its context, works well enough.

Dark, brutal depiction of abusive parenting; violence, sex.

Credit Sorogoyen for not giving in to the story's potential lurid elements and instead offering up a thoughtful and moving portrait of grief and healing.

Madre becomes more graceful and contemplative. But the long film demands patience without necessarily rewarding it...