Summary
The hilarious treatment of serious issues makes us laugh and relate.
This review of the Netflix film Honeymoon With My Mother does not contain spoilers.
On the day of his marriage, Jose Luiz is dumped by his girlfriend. As not to waste his honeymoon trip in Mauritius, his overprotective mother decides to join him on the trip. During the trip, Jose Luiz ails from the recent heartbreak while his mother enjoys the trip of her life. Yes, this is the premise of the new Netflix film Honeymoon With My Mother.
A bubbly comedy about the mother-son relationship, it is perhaps a superficial story but works as a refreshment and is able to put a smile on your face. The desires of a mother and how those desires get suppressed by the surrounding environment are very relatable. While watching, it reminds me of my mother, who sacrificed all her desires for my upbringing and the work of the household. In this patriarchal society, the desires of women are often unnoticed. The problems of men are exaggeratedly displayed but the condition of their counterparts often goes into oblivion. For example, there is a scene in the film where Jose Luiz challenges her mother claiming that she doesn’t know the real him. But she proves him wrong by telling him all the stories about him, he thinks only he knows. On the opposite, when the mother asks him to tell her about herself, Jose Luiz fails.
This shows the inequality between the genders very clearly. Despite being the son, Jose Luiz never tries to know his mother and her desires. Also, he blames her for all of his flaws. Director Paco Caballero portrays these issues hilariously. For that, it becomes easy to get attached. There are the cliches, but somewhere down the line everything showcased in the film is damn relatable for me that I can consider them.
Carmen Machi is nailed in the role of the mother. She carries the whole film upon her shoulders. Portraying her son, Quim Gutierrez tries his best to match the rhythm with her. But Machi is too good for him and often drags him to go along with her in their scenes together. The dynamics between them seem a bit whining in places but the grumpiness they share is one of the cutest things I have ever seen.
Honeymoon With My Mother maybe is not a perfect film, but after the end credits roll, it puts a smile on your face. The hilarious treatment of the film brings a serious issue with much cuteness on our doors. And for that, we should appreciate this film.
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