Mama

Feral children, both in reality and fiction extend back hundreds of years. Mowgli syndrome, as it’s known- taking its name from the Jungle Book character, has been the stuff of myths and legends for hundreds of years. More than a dozen actual cases have arisen, even into modern times. The use of children, which can be a scary enough proposition, with the uncertainty of a wild upbringing is only the start of Mama. Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain), struggle to raise their orphaned nieces, feral after years of isolation in the woods. They don’t seem to have spent that time completely alone. A relatively straightforward concept, and if I’m honest, the original trailer seemed a bit common. In practice, the viewer can clearly see the brand of Guillermo del Toro’s influence on the visual aspects of the film. After my first viewing, I was pleasantly surprised by the final product. Guillermo Del Toro is probably most famous for his original story Pan’s Labrynth, but he has also lent his talent to:

•The Hobbit Series (writer)
•Cowboys & Aliens (creatively)
•Hellboy series (writer / director / producer)
•Mimic (writer / director)

While I wouldn’t go so far as to call the film ‘scary’, it certainly has a special level of spook factor. Beyond the use of children, mostly mute and disconnected from their surroundings, the film also has a stark contrast between light and day (specifically, the interior of their home seems to be consistently in a state of twilight or midnight). A constant presence in a dark hallway, confined spaces, and huge moths add to the uncomfortable feel of the environment. The story, while straightforward, is creepy, and does not fall into stock paths of most modern horrors. The acting is also immaculately done. As is no surprise, Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) does a fantastic job as the matriarchal figure in the children’s new home. Completely out of her element, her character is uncomfortable around the children, which adds to the impression of instability in the film. The real gems of talent lie with the children, Megan Charpentier (Victoria) at only ten and Isabelle Nélisse (Lily) at an astonishing six years old. It is not astonishing that she’s six, what is truly impressive is the capability of such young performers, completely at home in their roles, and fluid in their presentations.

“Mama…Come”

An executive producer is defined as a chief of staff on a film production who is not involved with technical aspects of the finished product. Typically handling business issues, as well as funding, distribution and the like. Generally, producer and executive producer are not responsible for the creative direction of a film (that’d be the director), but rather the overall production. In the specific case of motion pictures, the executive producer is often the person responsible for purchase of the intellectual property that the film will be pulling from artistically. So, why then do executive producers get so much credit and recognition for films even when they have very little influence over the ultimate artistic look, feel, or delivery? Such is the case with Mama, often times advertised as a Guillermo del Toro film; when in actuality it was directed by Andres Muschietti and based upon a Spanish short film of the same name also by Muschietti. Admittedly, Guillermo del Toro is artistically brilliant, and Mama certainly has the unrecognizable flavor of del Toro; and surely would have never existed were it not for his funding and weight in American cinema.

“Victoria… what’s under the bed?”

Mama hit theaters strong, earning almost $30 million on its opening weekend alone. With a production budget of only $15 million, it’s safe to assume this film was successful. With a theatrical run totaling $105 million, it does seem as if simple scares paired with the influence of Guillermo del Toro are a fierce combination. Mama has completed its theatrical run, and is expected to be available on DVD and Blu-ray on May 7th 2013.