We always want the approval from our mothers–it’s almost instinctual. Even if we are estranged from the person who gave birth to us, there might be a nagging tug at our brains wondering why bad things happened or, maybe, we are curious if they can be fixed. In Andrea Pallaoro’s Monica, Trace Lysette’s title character returns home before her mother bids farewell to this world, and Patricia Clarkson’s Eugenia carries an immense amount of history in her eyes and in her frail body. Thanks to a delicate script and marvelous performances, Monica never veers into melodrama, but, instead, honors its characters with integrity and gentle honesty. Clarkson knew how important this story was, and you can feel that enthusiasm.
What I personally love about Monica is how much Pallaoro withholds from us. Do we assume that Monica hasn’t returned home because of a blow-out fight with her mother over her transitioning? Have there been many arguments or spats between these women that has kept them apart? It’s a film about the past but it’s not focused on the past–the characters do not have time as Eugenia’s health is in such steep decline.
There is a scene where Monica watches Eugenia and her brother, Paul, have a conversation where Eugenia says, ‘I love you. I made you.’ When the chat turns slightly to marital strife, Eugenia says, ‘Family comes first.’ In these moments, there is a touch between this mother and son. Has Eugenia always been affectionate or has she grown an appreciation for that importance on intimacy? In some of the best scenes of the film, Eugenia and Monica touch one another and no dialogue is spoken. We can lean so much by how much time someone touches us or the amount of pressure put on one person from another.
Clarkson’s Eugenia is experiencing so much pain physically, but her heart is aching just the same. Maybe Eugenia cannot articulate how she is feeling in the moment and she can only apologize for what she has said and done in the past, but she is so present in her scenes with Lysette. It’s truly, purely beautiful. They give so much to one another and they receive that affection and transmit it back.
Monica is streaming now on AMC+
