Nonureva Really Surprised!

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

kosmasp 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

Paddy-49 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.

edwagreen Joined together by tragedy, two strong-willed women join forces to lobby for more aid regarding malaria.They bond after both their sons succumb to the disease while in the African continent.The two couldn't have been more different. Hilary Swank plays a well-to-do mother who takes a 6 month sabbatical to take her son to Africa. The very plain Blenda Blethyn loses her son when he goes to the African continent for a teaching position in Mozambique.Swank's marriage seems to becoming apart before her husband, the latter also well played, realizes the value of what is wife is trying to accomplish. That didn't appear to be the case for Blethyn's mate.James Woods briefly appears as Swank's father, a Conservative man who goes the distance to aid his daughter in her quest.A wonderfully done film, sad but quite inspirational.

dalydj-918-255175 This story of mothers fighting for a cause is both inspiring and informing the audience on the real problems that face out current world whether we are aware of them. Mary (Hilary Swank) brings her son to Africa at the same time as Martha's (Brenda Blethyn) son Ben comes to be a teacher to young kids in the country. Both women lose their sons to Malaria and when Mary comes back after the lose she meets Martha and the women come together while in different continents to bring more help to the issues of Malaria in the world. The story was inspiring especially when seeing this women be in great grief but trying to fight to make a difference especially the character of Mary who really was the main character of the film and when the scenes were showed of her son dying of the terrible it very emotional in both how it was directing, written and acted by Hilary Swank. Hilary Swank is a great film actress but lately she has seem to have taken a break from any film worthy of her talents but with her role as Mary I believe it may be a return to form. From her reaction to her son George's death to her final speech in front of some government people. Throughout she is asked to not show her emotions even when she addresses it at the funeral of her son where she does not cry. Brenda Blethyn plays Martha and she is just as impressive as Swank while she appears in less of the movie. Her emotions are all over her face and it was very well played by Blethyn. The film was strong written, directed and acted by it's stars Swank and Blethyn that it was a great movie.MOVIE GRADE: B+ (MVP: Hilary Swank)