Mafia Mamma – A Silly Comedy With Heart (Early Review)

When it comes to Mafia Mamma, the premise at least on paper appeared to be incredibly silly. That being said, it isn’t exactly one that hasn’t been done before where a character from a certain walk of life finds themselves suddenly dropped into a polar opposite world for comedic effect. What is essentially a subgenre of comedy, can go either way depending on how stories tread the believability line without leaning too much in the wrong direction. While there could be some entertainment in that, it could get tiresome very quickly. Ultimate, there arguably isn’t too many actors that could tread that line better than Toni Collette, one of the most underrated actresses working today. That doesn’t quite change the fact that the film is still a silly one but she provides a great counterbalance to the silliness with her charm alone. She moves things along and is easily the best part of a film that is just as much a character piece about a woman finding a new lease on life than merely a silly premise. Though it may not be the best at either of those, it is still an entertaining watch that probably won’t stand out long term.

Mafia Mamma is pretty simple to explain in terms of its premise as Kristin (Collette), an American woman and over-protective mother who reached a crossroads in her life, travels to Italy and unwittingly inherits her family’s mafia empire. If it wasn’t immediately clear, she was certainly out of her element as the film kept tapping into that element for comedy and the silly situation that ensued worked for the most part. However, those situations and its over-the-top depiction of the mafia do get old. Meanwhile, the behind-the-scenes drama and the circumstances behind it basically don’t matter as where the film truly shines is how Kristin overcomes the predictable obstacles in her path and how she evolves as a character as a result of those challenges. That path was of course mired with plenty of silliness in contrast to the seriousness of her current predicament. In spite of those challenges and the growing target she had on her back, she saw a life there as she increasingly put herself first rather than focusing on helping others.

As Kristin found her confidence and grew more comfortable in her new position, it was nice to see her take charge of the situation instead of letting the situation take charge of her. This process, as mentioned, was not exactly seamless and without mistakes but this only added to her charm. That relatability is sure to make audiences root for her even more, if not because she was more interesting than everything else the film had to offer other than her right hand woman Bianca (Bellucci) who helped Kristin as an advisor. The two shared a fun dynamic where as women, the latter saw someone she can connect to and empower to the top of the ladder. In the end, regardless of Kristin’s personal growth, she still had to find a way to reconcile with her past as a means to finally move forward and figure out what she wanted to do with her life, However, her present still had something to say before that could happen. Beneath all the silliness and drama, was a decent amount of tension and all three came together in a satisfying way by the end. Keeping up with the subject matter, the film leaves a body count yet the fate of Kristin was never in doubt.

At the end of the day, the best part of Mafia Mamma and the glue that held it together was Collette as Kristin. Her effortless charm makes for a character who is easy to invest in as she grounds all the silliness, giving the character a flawed humanity. Firmly grasping the comedic aspects, Collette also kept the character from being a caricature and the butt of the joke. When it comes to the other characters, that is debatable for the most part. While the humor wasn’t necessarily original, she was fun to watch as Kristin bumbled her way through Italy and the mafia world but there was thankfully more to her than that over the course of an empowering character arc. Collette’s chemistry with Bellucci’s Bianca made for a fun dynamic as the latter was an absolute presence. It’s a shame that she didn’t get to show it more than she did here.

Ultimately, Mafia Mamma is a silly comedy that may not break the mold or bring anything new to the conversation but Toni Collette makes it a memorable one.

still courtesy of levelFilm

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.