Mary and Martha

source: Mary and Martha

I thought this was a great movie. Too many critics out there. Watch it and feel good about sad things that happen in the world. Maybe it's a bit far fetched but then again, we can all make a difference in this world, you just have to want to do it.

Talking about matters like bullying and malaria is very important, but the execution is poor. "Is your husband cute?" "He must be, or you wouldn't have married him." What kind of dialogue is that? First, beauty is subjective, and people marry each other for a combination of factors. Anyway, this conversation did not sit well in the movie. How about the fact that the mother takes her child to another country and when he says Mandela's t-shirt is weird she doesn't correct him? I mean, you are free to have your likes and dislikes, but ever wondered why such a kid has that opinion? Culture. She should have explained to him that what is strange for him is normal and cool for other people. She could have told him beauty and wonders come in so many shapes, colors and sizes. "Oh they will like to see you because you are prettier than me." In a movie with such a serious theme characters seem to be too shallow. Women should not compete. Again the simplistic idea that beauty is objective. And again, characters seem so worried about looks and things that are secondary. The movie tries poorly to talk about important matters with an immature and shallow rhetoric. Can we stop caring about how people look for one second? And as others said, we don't know characters enough to like them and Mary is very selfish for not caring what her husband or son wants. And why was she offended by others crying? I don't get it. Maybe they should laugh? At a funeral??? And yes, the story would be a lot better if told from the point of view of a native. The cast is good. The movie not so much. It doesn't touch us. I watched the movie in another language, so exact words might not be accurate but the idea is the same.

We waste so much time worrying about such trivial things that aren't worth worrying about. Things that don't really matter. Our fancy cars. Our nails getting done. Our hair getting done. All while serious issues like scores of children dying from malaria in the real world. That's Reality. And this movie is emotional. The entire 2nd half of the movie was seen through tears. Sad tears. And triumphant tears.

It's propaganda in a good cause, I suppose, but propaganda nonetheless. I was surprised to see, as the ending credits rolled by, no mention of the Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation as sponsors. The story is propelled by some poorly-handled plot devices, e.g., bullying, which goes nowhere but seems to be the motive for mother and son decamping for exotic Africa, and by some unforgivable lapses like the couple not getting their "shots" before landing in a country where Malaria is a clear and present danger. For travel anywhere outside the developed world, I think immunizations are still highly recommended. Malaria as a political issue, and the wall-to-wall corruption that enables it to flourish, goes entirely unmentioned in the film. The first thing I saw in it that convinced me that it isn't an entirely straightforward story was the presentation of the older white malaria victim, the son of Brenda Blethyn's character. This young man is simply too wonderful to serve as anything but a straw man for the film's message. He's funny, athletic, gorgeous, generous and unselfish, all qualities dramatized in the first 8 minutes of the film, so obviously he has to die but quick. The story obliges by having him volunteer to teach in Mozambique, where in another 4 minutes he adopts an entire orphanage, gives away all his drugs and dies horribly of malaria, thus supplying us with Martha, his mother, who becomes an assistant to Hillary Swank's Mary in her campaign against the disease. If you can stand being bludgeoned by objects as blunt as these, the acting is good, the male characters (husbands and sons) are dealt with sympathetically, the scenery is fascinating and the film is at least watchable. BTW-for the unenlightened, Didier Drogba is a striker on the Ivory Coast national soccer team.

If people say and tell you this is inspiring, they are not wrong. Based on real events, this is really gripping and without knowing where this was heading (hadn't read anything about it, before I watched it), I really was surprised after about 30 minutes into the film. After that it was kind of obvious where it would go, but the acting and the telling of the story is really good. Not to mention the central performances. Even if towards the end you get a bit of a "cliche" speech, you'd have to have a heart of stone, not to be touched by it at all. You could also argue about the husband and what he decides to do and how things get "solved", but after all that happened, it seems to be a suiting ending to it all

I don't like when George said he didn't like Mandela T-Shirt. Mandela T-shirt is from Indonesia, one of world heritage. We should respect it. The script should edited. The part which vote didier drogba more popular than Mandela is very terrible.. Good scene in Africa and good adventure. Mary and Martha tell us something to do more for world. About bullying, the film didn't explain more. The part when Martha losing his son didn't tell to us clearly.. Why Mary didn't bring George to nearest hospital? if she bring to the nearest hospital, George will survived. Her husband is very wise, he can understand and try to keep his wife calm.. i like this movie, bring inspiration to us.. how malaria can kill many people. overall good stories.

Read the other reviews if interested in plot. The persons involved in creating this film may have had great motivation. The time & talents of Swank & Bletheyn are wasted. The dialogue is lame :"Is you husband cute? I think so." Who says stuff like that?The relationships seem false. The scenes with medical personnel are laughable. The scenery is interesting. I could not watch the entire film- it was aggravating.

Richard Curtis has a great track record of writing amusing, often hilarious films which all have some sort of hidden message. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was ultimately about the value of tolerance. "Notting Hill" about how deep down, however famous we might be, we are ultimately human and vulnerable. "Love Actually" was about the power and risks and torments and delights of love. Curtis's lightness of touch has always belied an inner seriousness. "Mary and Martha" is a much more serious film (albeit with some lighter moments) about two women brought together by tragedy - the losses of their sons to Malaria. They are utterly different. They differ by age, nationality, background, lifestyle - everything. And yet they find a common cause in their campaign to get more funding from the West, specifically the US, to fight the scourge of malaria in Africa. There is an element of documentary about the film - it certainly aims to inform us about the disease the assumption being (rightly in my case) that we are unaware (A) How much of a problem it is and (B)That something CAN be done about it. But notwithstanding the educational element of the movie the story line is strong and believable. We see the waste of two young western lives contrasted with the waste on a massive scale as thousands of children fall to Malaria every day. And all for the want of a net to put over their beds and drugs to treat them. Mary and Martha prick the consciences of American legislators by delivering a powerful and emotional message to a Congressional committee. The story is empowering because it says if we have the determination to succeed then minds really can be changed if the cause is just.

This film was truly inspiring. It really changed my view on malaria, and really put into perspective how my life differs to others. Poor children are dying because of this horrible disease, and this film captures the awareness brilliantly. We are truly lucky to have live the lives we live, and this film proves that. I now put myself in others shoes before I react upon occurrences in my own life. Also, it meant a lot to me, because my mum knows "Ben's" mum, in real life. So having the thought in the back of my mind, that this story is true, really strengthens the realism. Yes, it makes it more sad, but all the more inspiring. The film is so well put together, and really thumps you with a whirlwind of emotion and sympathy. A very sad, but brilliant film. A must watch.