Mama Weed (2020) User Reviews

Getting it

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 21 October 2020]

Isabelle Huppert - just the name alone should be enough for some to not even think twice about how they will feel about this movie. And she is really getting it - well done. Now morally speaking there are things that will be going on, that not everyone will agree with. Maybe that is the wrong way of putting it. But you'll know what I mean when you see the movie (or even the trailer I assume).

The movie is very well thought of and is quite the entertaining ride - while the subject matter is serious and there are certain scenes that are on the violent side - overall the tone is that of a comedy. Acting overall is top notch, there are certain things that may feel like an easy way out (problems that almost literally disappear to a degree) ... and the ending is something that while nice, is nothing that is as amazing or gives the movie an extra push ... but maybe that is nitpicking. Just enjoy the thriller ride with a lot of laughs (and still some social message hidden in there)

Mama weed

[slavkogligor · 6/10 · 23 July 2021]

A charming film about time passing by. It's a soft crime movie, don't expect anything Hollywood. This is good actually, because Hollywood fails miserably to deliver a real life picture.

Mama Weed is my recommendation to everyone seeking a cool and witty day movie 🎦 to watch.

Quite funny

[s-parsi2005 · 7/10 · 15 January 2021]

As francophone movie was easy to follow. Plot had holes and some actions didnt make sense but overall liked it. It could be definitely better. Neighbors were cool they shouldve got more screen time. Not sure at the end it was one time only smart villain role playing for main charachter

Isabelle Huppert show as a widow of precarious life who is presented with an extraordinary opportunity

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 9 March 2023]

The chameleon and always infallible Isabelle Huppert becomes a queen of drug trafficking among the traffickers of Paris in this ¨police comedy¨ or ¨thriller with hints of humor¨ depending on how you look at it . In the film Huppert plays a Patience Portefeux , a discreet translator in charge of phone surveillance for a narcotics police unit , from the Parisian anti-drug squad and whose chief - Hippolyte Girardot- turns out to be her lover . She goes over to the other side when, by some twist of fate, a loot of hashish falls into her hands . Isabelle Huppert is 50% Cop 50% Dealer 100% Pure !

Based on the novel by Hannelore Cayre , the story centers around Patience Portefeux, an underpaid , overworked French-Arabic translator then she realizes she knows the mother of one of the drug dealers, Patience decides to cover for him and gets herself more and more deeply involved in the world of drug trafficking. Soon, she is using her insider knowledge and police resources to build her own crime network and earns the name Mama Weed. Mama Maria or Mama Weed offers a sharp look into the world of drug trafficking, skillfully blending irony , drama and suspense. Huppert gives a splendid acting as a translator working for the police gets involved in the other side of drug dealing . Huppert explained that "this character is quite a gift for an actress" , she is Patient, a widow with unfortunate life who becomes a double agent, a role out of the ordinary , which was created by the novelist Hannelore Cayre based on his own experiences as a criminal lawyer.

It displays an intriguing and adequate musical score by notorious French composer Bruno Coulais. As well as atmospheric , adequate cinematography by cameraman Julien Hirsch . The motion picture was well directed and written -along with Hannelore Cayre- by Jean Paul Salomé . Craftsman Jean-Paul Salomé served as president of the ARP (the French Authors', Directors', and Producers' Guild) , has won several awards and has an interesting and prestigious career , first working as a trainee for director Claude Lelouch, who hired him during the production of his film ¨Bolero¨. He went on to direct two documentaries, ¨L'Heure d'aimer¨ in 1983 and ¨La Petite Commission¨ in 1984, both of which were selected at numerous film festivals . After making his first feature-length film for television , he directed the feature film ¨Les Braqueuses¨ in 1993. Five years later, he directed ¨Tourist Trap¨, which tells the story of a group of tourists who get lost in the middle of nowhere in the United States. In 2000, he directed a new cinematic adaptation of the myth of Belphegor,¨Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre¨. In 2004, he directed an updated adaptation of the iconic tale of the gentleman thief , ¨Arsène Lupin¨, followed, in 2007, by ¨Female Agents¨with a French star-studded cast . And¨The Chameleon¨, which was shot in the United States, was released in 2010. His most recent feature, ¨Playing Dead¨ was released in December 2013. And this ¨Mama Weed¨ (2020) at his best . Rating : 7/10 . The yarn will appeal to Isabelle Huppert fans.

Mixed genres, mixed feelings

[abee34 · 7/10 · 4 February 2022]

Let me start by saying that I enjoyed the movie! I thought the plot was fresh and unique, and Izabelle Ruppert was magnificent. Considering she was 66 at the time of filming, she also looks amazing!

Now about what have not worked for me in this movie. At the beginning, the movie presented us with moral philosophical dilemmas, and as I started to become emotionally involved with the characters, it made a 180 degree turn and became a comedy. Don't get me wrong, I love comedies, and there were some really funny moments where I laughed out loud, but I honestly struggled the whole movie and with how to perceive it, as a comedy or as a crime thriller. I definitely could not relate to the main character anymore and really could not root for her. Honestly, at the end I was rooting against the mama weed hoping the logic/simple deduction would prevail.

Other things that bothered me are the plot holes that made police look really really stupid and drug dealers naive and funny! Because of that, you could not really call this movie a crime thriller, even though there were all the ingredients for it. In other words, there were no thrilling moments to make me sit at the edge of my seat and bite my nails. As soon as there were some signs for it, scenes were turned into a joke. Again, this was due to the problem of mixing the jenres. It would have been better if the movie stayed with the comedy crime theme without involving very poignant and serious moments.

The movie has touched many important topics, including relationships with elderly parents, immigrants trying to survive to have a better live in a new country, but I almost felt like there could have been two movies made out of this one. See it for yourself!

WHAT A PERFORMANCE BY HUPPERT!

[proudomoibadan · 7/10 · 19 March 2021]

Yoooo I want to see this movie in all movie nominations! And also a sequel if possible.

Sugar-coated version of the original book

[bob.decker · 7/10 · 5 December 2023]

Several critics have dismissed Mama Weed for squandering the talent of its leading lady. Indeed Ms. Huppert is utterly miscast as Prudence Portefeu, but this is not the first time the French mega-star has ended up in a project that was much beneath her-think of Tip Top, for example, which is a much lesser effort than Mama Weed. Compared to the popular novel on which it's based, Mama Weed is saccharine in its portray of the relationship between Patience and her mother, but any stereotypes in its portrayals come directly from the book, which probably would do better as a miniseries than as a feature length film.

Awful? No. Bad? Yes, definitely

[frolicfrog · 4/10 · 29 January 2021]

Nothing works in this movie. The scenario is bad, really bad. And again Isabelle Huppert is not doing well to make it better. Save your time, do watch it!

fun french heist

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 3 May 2022]

Subtitles... patience (isabelle huppert) is a translator for the french police. When there's a bust, she is brought in to question the prisoners, and to listen in on telephone calls. Right now, she also needs to raise money pronto for her own rent and for her elderly mother. When patience overhears a conversation that is someone she knows, she helps the drug runner hide the hash before the cops get there. Lots of cussing in various languages. Patience keeps taking things further and further... she sets up her own network, and even figures out a way to launder the money with the home-owner association. Sure, we're overlooking a few things, but it's fun to see how far she can go with this scheme. Will she get away with it?? The title on screen at the beginning is la daronne, which really means the mom. Directed by jean paul salome, who also made sitting duck with huppert. It's fun. Zips right along. She's a criminal, but we want her to succeed.

Meh

[rodrigoalderete · 2/10 · 11 March 2021]

A missed opportunuty to make this film better. Isabelle Huppert was terrible, what happened to her? I remember her in "The Piano Teacher " and "Elle" and she was stunning. Now in "La daronne" is terrible, terrible. No, no, no.

A racist uneven joyless film

[firoozh · 4/10 · 3 December 2021]

As much as I love Hupert and have seen all of her films, this one is an insensitive bad one. Terrible stereotype of Arabs and Chinese as drug dealers.

It shows how French society in general is out of touch with its Arab and Asian communities. It rewards the cheating police translator ( Hupert) with the drugs that she is charge of confiscation so she walk into the sunset with her dog !! This film is not a comedy.

It's a sad statement of how French cinema views it's diversity as a joke in 2020. There is no joy in watching this film. You don't feel or learn anything during it's long duration. I hope she stops and reads the scripts that are offered to her more carefully.

I had fun....

[Veritas99 · 9/10 · 1 March 2021]

While watching it. It's not only comedy, it has dramatic moments, also. Isabelle Huppert is amazing, and manages to cover the plot holes. In the end, one may not care if the whole thing is credible or not, good acting makes it an overall entertaining movie.

An Honest Look Into Lies

[samuel-bell94 · 8/10 · 7 May 2021]

Whether you call it La daronne, Mamma Weed or The Godmother, Jean-Paul Salomé's screen adaption of Hannelore Cayre's award winning novel is a sight to behold. At times satirical, sometimes serious, a romp as ridiculous as it is romantic, La daronne has created a film about liars that is at all times honest. A true genre bending experience that defies tonal expectations and seems deeply intent on sending its message to all watchers, whether they want it or not. A message as heart-warming as it is controversial. We are all just people.

At its core, this film is a crime thriller, following the exploits of a police interpreter who comes from a family of drug runners, being given the opportunity and choosing to break bad. It runs through all the noir and dramatic tropes. A by the number's cops and robber's tale, with doomed romances and violent standoffs abound. What makes The Godmother unique is that while it uses every cliches in the book, it subverts every one of them. Showing a truly honest reflection of reality, viewers are treated to the rarely seen truth behind the criminal mythos. No one really knows what they are doing. The police aren't just relentless machines of justice, hunting down their hapless prey, they are regular old people, just doing a job and trying to help. Drug runners aren't violent perverts, they are often just kids trying to get by. Even those higher up on the chain don't sit around a warehouse smoking cigars and plotting evil. They take care of their families and hang out with their friends. They run a business the same way any regional manager does. Even our protagonist (Expertly played by Isabelle Huppert), for all that she runs circles around the police, keeps the gangs in line, and makes herself into a criminal boss to be feared, she is just a middle-aged mother, trying to keep my family together and deal with the same life struggles as everyone else.

Jean-Paul Salomé is unafraid to let each situation play out with brutal honesty. He lets interactions become awkward and strained. Romantic gestures go unnoticed and miscommunication runs rampart. There are no seamless handovers, each side walking away without counting the money. There is no honour among thieves and super geniuses don't hang around dark alleys selling weed. The crime is still crime, people get hurt and their actions are inexcusable, but that doesn't mean they aren't understandable. The Godmother walks the tightrope of showing each side of the law, warts and all, without glorifying or vilifying either. There are no heroes or villains in this story, just police and criminals, going about their lives, trying to get though the day.

There are many who take offense to the idea that the people in jail are just as human and relatable as them. Those people are unlikely to enjoy Rialto Distribution's latest offering. For everyone else, or even just those willing to go in with an open mind, The Godmother is a funny, sad, ridiculous look at realism, and well worth your time.

Momma Weed is a FUN and INTELLIGENT movie

[justprofootball · 10/10 · 12 February 2022]

The protagonist plays an Arabic police translator in a French police unit specializing in conducting long term narcotics investigations. Her boyfriend is in charge of the unit.

This isn't a slapstick type of comedy with bumbling police officers. Instead, officers appear competent while gathering intelligence from the protagonist's Arabic translations. This is more drama than a comedy.

The characters in the movie are great. The writing was terrific and didn't insult your intelligence. If this movie was marketed right, I think it could have been a blockbuster.

An Elegant Touching Drama about a Drug Dealer?

[tm-sheehan · 8/10 · 24 May 2021]

My Review- The Godmother, or La Daronne, or Mama Weed My Rating 8/10 This very entertaining French film amazingly wasn't even considered in submissions for Best International Feature movie and as far as I'm concerned it's far superior than the winning Oscar movie from Denmark "Another Round." It may sound an odd description in describing La Daronne or "Mama Weed "as an elegant ,touching, and humorous film about a glamorous drug dealer but that's what it really is .

The wonderful and still beautiful French Actress Isabelle Huppert who was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 ( becoming one of only 7 actresses to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for a French Speaking role) for Elle stars as Patience Portefeux an underpaid, overworked French-Arabic translator in charge of phone surveillance for a narcotics police unit uses her insider knowledge and police resources to build her own crime network.

The film script of The Godmother is written by Hannelore Cayre, the author of the original novel, La Daronne, which took out the 'Quais du Polar', a prize awarded annually to the best crime or thriller novel by a European author in French or a French translation.

It's skilfully directed by Jean Paul Salomé and has a great supporting cast including Hippolyte Girardot as the Police Chief in charge of trying to apprehend Mama Weed who is much closer to him than he really thinks . Also a lovely performance by Liliane Rovére as Mme Portefeux the mother of Patience who is in aged care .

There's a cute local reference in the film when Patience is describing a photo on her wall to Sydney in this film about our New Year Fireworks Celebrations , which shows how famous our annual New Year Celebration is.

This is a very entertaining film and well worth a look I especially loved the Christmas display at Galeries Lafayette where Mama Weed and her 2 daughters "go shopping with her mother."

Crime can pay if you know when to stop.

[barrydayton · 8/10 · 4 December 2021]

Patience Portefeux is a member of the French proletariat, an over educated under paid gig worker. With a PhD in Arabic she works as a translator for the police when needed, no security, no benefits. When opportunity knocks, in this case the acquisition of a large stash of hash, Patience jumps at the opportunity to profit and turn her life around.

The film is loosely based on the book "The Godmother" by Hannelore Cayre. The book is funnier and more insightful than the film, but the film is more concise, and like Hannelore, knows when to quit. Unfortunately, the plot is so complicated that it is hard to follow the film unless you have read the book first. Isabelle Huppert is somewhat miscast but makes the film.

Hilarious Huppert Hits the High Notes

[hankbrns · 10/10 · 14 February 2023]

What a great comedic flick.

There are unexpected surprises and well-acted scenes that make this a pleasure to view.

Huppert plays it with such a bold demeanor that it's as if she'd done this dirty business plenty of times.

She straddles the line as a police translator and a friend--and does it plausibly and well.

The rest of the cast fills in the complete story, even though you have to be patient to catch on.

Using the dog was such a brilliant idea that it appears to be the standout scene in the whole production.

Mama Weed is my favorite from the current French film industry--which has many other fine works (Petite Maman, The Quiet Girl on so on...)

Sublime

[Waedliman · 8/10 · 9 July 2021]

I admit I'm sceptical about French comedies. They are often too talkative, have no pace, are somehow not my thing. I only went to see Mama Weed because of Isabelle Huppert, whom I consider one of the greatest actresses in France, and I was not disappointed. Already in the first minutes I was convinced by her dry, slightly nervous and off-track characterisation of an academic who seems to have become like pearls before swine in the police service. It is therefore only logical that she uses her knowledge to go to the other side, namely that of the criminals, here specifically drug dealers. The fact that morality falls by the wayside in a comedy is perfectly fine, but the way in which various stereotypes are celebrated here in a completely politically incorrect manner is simply fun and would be unthinkable in Hollywood today. Added to this is an ensemble that gives the monkey sugar in a completely harmonious and playful way. In addition to the excellent Huppert, Lilane Rovère should be mentioned as the demented mother, as well as Nadja Nguyen as the devious neighbour.

Isabelle..la.. Bella.. Manifique!

[akira-hideyo · 10/10 · 26 July 2021]

She's a one stop female Breaking Bad. I enjoyed it for the great entertainment. That will do. Now Mama, telephone Oscar, si?

Am I living irony as I watch this movie with subtitles?

[athies · 8/10 · 31 December 2021]

So many times I wish back in middle school they told us the different interpreter jobs you could have and I would have been super excited. The school system needs iteration.

Elegant indeed.

Lines cross!

You never know what being nice to someone will take you.

The shelter would not use phots with bars!

Something funny about all those drugs and renewable energy in the background.

Those loose bits are going to be a problem later.

How convenient they stack like U1 racks.

They discuss crime so casually with each other before they even know the other is in the know.

Whoa! She's sold a lot already.

Time to quit.

He put a microphone in the flowers.

These are the smart drug dealers. Nice job with the plant... very nice.

widows doing it for themselves

[anxiousgayhorseonketamine · 9/10 · 17 July 2023]

Hilarious piece which makes fun of the Pawliss and small-time drugdealers here Isabelle Huppert pushing 70 plays a much younger widow translator who sees a chance to make a run with a huge bag of cash using her ability to speak Arabic and massive inside info from the drug squad

The Chinese landlady Jade Nadja Nguyen is almost as much of a hoot here too with her old-country ways in the heart of Paris .... hilarious in every scene

it is very nicely-paced never tedious and comedic in so many ways and on so many levels. Reading some of the other comments a lack of understanding of the society they are looking at led to some strange reactions; this is Paris and the people who live there doing their kind of dance

For comedy buffs and Paris watchers a gem.