Film Review: MAFIA MAMMA (2023): Toni Collette is Funny in a Wild Comedy That Falters a Bit in its Second Half

Mafia Mamma Review

Mafia Mamma (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Amanda Sthers, J. Michael Feldman and Debbie Jhoon and starring Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci, Sophia Nomvete, Alessandro Bressanello, Eduardo Scarpetta, Tommy Rodger, Tim Daish, Jay Natelle, Maddalena Vallecchi Williams, Dora Romano, Guilio Corso, Francesco Mastroianni, Alfonso Perugini and Bruno Bilotta.

Toni Collette gets her own comedy vehicle with the funny but eventually tiresome new film, Mafia Mamma. In the movie, Collette plays Kristin, an American mom whose son Domenick (Tommy Rodger) is heading off to college as the film begins. When Kristin’s husband, Paul (Tim Daish) is caught cheating on her with another woman, Kristin begins to consider taking a call from Italy. This call propels her to travel to Italy in order to seek out her own version of Eat, Pray, Love.

Kristin is a likable character who will draw the audience in at the beginning of the movie but when we learn that she has been chosen to take over the empire of her deceased mafioso grandfather (played mostly in flashbacks by Alessandro Bressanello), the plot kicks into gear and it’s a funny enough premise to stick with the film for a little while. Then, the movie reveals itself as a one-joke picture that has some ugly scenes and eventually grows repetitive. How many times can you laugh at a mom trying to head a mafia ring when what’s going on is so life-threatening? Granted, the picture is a comedy but still.

Monica Bellucci serves as Bianca, a charismatic woman with a prosthetic leg, who takes Kristin under her wing. After Kristin’s phone is smashed, she is unable to leave the mafia “family” to go back home. Kristin had been under the impression that her grandfather made wine at a vineyard. That may be true but the business was a front. Kristin and Bianca bond stepping on some grapes in the vineyard, and Kristin is told that she will be in danger if she tries to leave the “family.”

In the interim, a handsome local man named Lorenzo (Giulio Corso), who Kristin meets at the airport, becomes interesting to her and Kristin begins to date him. However, what does a woman do in order to go about dating someone new when she is still technically married and, also, the head of a crime family? She lies. This would normally come back to bite her in the a– but Lorenzo may have a secret or two of his own that he is hiding.

There are really funny sequences sprinkled throughout. For example, at a mob meeting, Kristin brings muffins to smooth the opposing criminal family over. There’s some talk of the 1970’s film, The Godfather as Kristin admits that, like so many others like her, she hasn’t had the time to actually see the long movie. There are also some nasty scenes such as when Kristin’s phone becomes full of vomit, not to mention other various violent scenarios that begin when Kristin attends her grandfather’s funeral and a shoot-out ensues.

Also in the movie is a female lawyer friend of Kristin’s named Jenny (Sophia Nomvete) who tells Kristin early on she should want to eat, pray and the “F” word in Italy. Nomvete has a  lot of personality and is humorous in her role even though some of it is a little too crass for its own good. When she comes back into the movie at the end, it feels a lot like a “deus ex machina,” though.

It’s probably true that Mafia Mamma couldn’t have really worked as a film despite its funny basic premise. It’s too broad and too focused on its general premise to offer any more for its audience. There’s no compelling plot to be found here and little depth to most of the characters. Kristin’s job in America is written off as trite and it’s unbelievable that a company would want to get rid of Kristin since she is a very appealing character. Comedies aren’t supposed to be deep but this movie feels like it’s just too threadbare in terms of its overall story line. As Kristin tries to do good things through her newfound mafia leadership, she’s still likable but the mob isn’t really a topic that has worked for a comedy in a long time. This film won’t change that fact.

Despite its lack of interesting plot development in the second half, there are still moments that Toni Collette really shines on screen. She has a natural charisma and makes the audience laugh throughout even when the material feels uncomfortable. In another actress’s hands, this role could have been awful and this could have been one of the worst movies of the year. However, Collette rises the material to a palatable level at many times throughout. It’s a hit and miss comedy that misses more than it hits but Collette will emerge from the film unscathed. Bellucci is always reliable and holds her own beside Collette.

Mafia Mamma, despite its flaws, is still intriguing at times to watch. Director Catherine Hardwicke has never made a really bad movie and this one won’t harm her career too much either. Toni Collette needs another shot at a leading role in a comedy, preferably one with a better script. Still, Mafia Mamma has some funny scenes that could make it worthwhile for fans of Collette.

Rating: 6/10

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