The Mother of Tears (2008)
Sub-Genre- Italian Horror/Witches
In Attendance- Me!
Cast Members of Note- Asia Argento... mmm..., Daria Nicoldi (Asia's mom), and the ultra creepy Udo Kier!
What's it about?- A girl named Sarah Mandy (dumbest name ever) stumbles upon the evil plot of Mater Lachrymarum, a witch and the last of the Three Mothers, and spends the entire movie getting random people killed because she cant leave well enough alone!
Eventually, all of Rome goes apeshit and start killing each other because they feel the evil effects of the witches evil, so maybe it isn't all Sarah Mandy's fault. Go ahead and say Sarah Mandy out loud... silly isn't it? It should be Sahratzi Mandizio or something... now that sounds Italian.
So we're treated to all kinds of death and mayhem, brutal murders, clueless cops, naked witches, orgies, ghosts, and creepy old men... I wont ruin the ending here, but suffice it to say that it's sudden and it left me saying "um... ok."
The Good- A fitting end to the Three Mothers Trilogy started 30 years ago (Suspiria, Inferno), Mother of Tears didn't disappoint me at all. Sure, some of the acting and story elements were weak, but that's to be expected from Italian Horror, and Argento in particular.
What's also to be expected is a dark, bloody, shocking and atmospheric trip into the world of the macabre, which is something Argento has seldom gotten wrong. I was actually surprised how graphically gory MOT was; I'd have to go through and watch most of his films again, but I'm fairly sure that this is one of his bloodiest ventures.
The Bad- I've never really been creeped out by monkeys until now. Also, the acting in Italy hasn't really gotten much better over the years, has it?
The Downright Horrendous- What are you doing baby? You cant swim, you're a baby! Also they suck at protecting their own heads.
The Gory- This movie is a bloody bloodbath full of blood! Seriously, the gore is plentiful, and rather brutal... I'm proud of Argento for going all out on this one!
The Naked- Boobs and butts galore! I guess that Witches really like being naked... and having orgies.
Best Line- "We all have one mother now... the Mother of Tears!"
What did we learn?- Argento still has it. Also, babies don't float.
Rating- A I have to say that Mother of Tears reminds me of Argento films of old; bloody, gory, shocking, atmospheric, creepy... it's got all of the classic Italian horror elements. The Three Mothers Trilogy is one of the best horror trilogies I've seen; make sure you see Suspiria and Inferno first, but definitely check this one out.
Final Thoughts- Asia is in this!
