“The Mother” starring Jennifer Lopez / Z-View

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The Mother (2023)

Director: Niki Caro

Screenplay: Misha Green, Andrea Berloff, Peter Craig from a story by Misha Green[1]

Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Lucy Paez, Omari Hardwick, Joseph Fiennes, Jesse Garcia, Yvonne Senat Jones, Gael García Bernal and Edie Falco.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

“The Mother” (Lopez) is an unnamed ex-military, soldier brokering an arms deal between two of her former lovers, ex-SAS Captain Adrian Lovell (Fiennes) and arms dealer Hector Álvarez (Bernal).  When she discovers that they are both also involved in child trafficking, she turns FBI informant.

While “The Mother” is at a safe house being interrogated, and nearly ready to give birth, the safe house is attacked.  All of the FBI agents except, William Cruise (Hardwick) are murdered.  Cruise is badly wounded, but saved by “The Mother”, who is also wounded and nearly loses her baby.  Realizing she is a marked woman and her child would always be in danger, “The Mother” agrees to put the baby up for adoption with three conditions:
1.  The baby will be put in a good, safe home
2.  Cruise will send her a birthday photo every year
3.  Cruise will let her know if the child is ever in danger

Cruise agrees. The child is adopted and named Zoe (Paez). “The Mother” moves to Alaska to live off the grid.

Twelve years later Cruise contacts “The Mother”.  Zoe who is in grave danger.  Álvarez has learned where she is and is planning to kidnap her.  Together Cruise and “The Mother” move to save Zoe, but will they be too late?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Jennifer Lopez is more than capable to play an action hero.  Unfortunately, The Mother is content to coast.  The story hits all the marks you’d expect.  It feels like moviemaking by numbers.  There are no surprises. It does have enough star power and action to hold our attention.  Unfortunately except for Lopez, the stars are under-used.  I’d have loved to have seen Omari Hardwick and Edie Falco given more to do.

While “The Mother” is an okay way to spend a couple of hours, Jennifer Lopez and her co-stars deserved better.  So did the audience.

The Mother (2023) rates 2 of 5 stars.