What to know
- Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, starring Mahershala Ali, premiered at TIFF to major hype, with opening-night tickets selling out almost instantly.
- The film, directed by director Bassem Tariq, blends religious themes, samurai-style action, grief, parenthood, and dark comedy into a story that shifts dramatically in tone.
- Ali plays Latif, a grieving single father and hitman who must protect his three children while being hunted by men connected to a local mosque and a Korean military soldier-turned-priest, played by John Cho.
- Ali and young co-star Adia deliver emotional performances, with the film exploring the importance of both mothers and fathers while highlighting Latif’s desperation to protect his family and stay true to his faith.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This review contains spoilers for the film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.
Fans who were upset to hear the film Blade was cancelled can watch what could have been in Mahershala Ali’s latest film, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, where he was able to put his previous Marvel sword training to good use.
Since the film’s announcement, movie fans have been buzzing for the release of what I will call YM3 for the sake of brevity. The hype had been so large ahead of the world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10 that tickets for the film’s opening night sold out almost instantly – and for good reason.
It’s no wonder YM3’s early Rotten Tomatoes reviews landed the film a perfect score. Blade’s ex-director Bassem Tariq successfully blended religious dialogue, samurai-style action sequences, and parental and spousal grief into one film.
In YM3, the tone of the film shifts multiple times, jumping from single fatherhood to thrilling kill-for-hire sequences, to the comedy and disbelief surrounding the production of “halal” pornography.
Despite these multiple themes, Tariq was able to stitch together a more than comprehensive storyline that had audiences laughing, crying, and on the edge of their seats.
The movie begins on a dark note, with Ali’s character receiving a phone call after making a kill. The caller, who ends up being Ali’s daughter, tells him “Mama” has passed – someone the audience soon finds out is Ali’s wife in the movie.
This sets the tone for the film. With an actively breastfeeding daughter who is only a few months old, Ali must begin scrounging for breast milk from other lactating women after finding out his daughter couldn’t keep powder formula down.
On top of this, Ali has two other children, a teenage daughter and a 10-year-old son, whom he is now the sole parent of. Simultaneously, Ali is being hunted down by some corrupt men from a local mosque as well as a Korean military soldier turned priest, played by John Cho, along with his own men.
Ali’s devout character must also balance his hitman lifestyle along with his beliefs and grief. This becomes increasingly difficult as both his worlds collide, with Ali at one point having to ask a former sex worker, who was connected to both the men from the mosque and Cho’s character, to breastfeed his daughter.
Chaos quickly ensues, and what was already a difficult film emotionally becomes more gripping. Ali’s teenage daughter must tackle the grief of her mother passing, having to take care of her younger siblings, and having to deal with the revelations of who her father really is.
The film takes a turn when Cho and his men begin to go on a killing spree through the areas Ali frequents, forcing Ali to take his kids to his brother’s home and leave them.
It’s a movie that can be described as gripping – the topics of death, parenthood, and religion are already intense on their own, and when combined, can only result in a heartbreaking film.
Ali takes his character, Latif, to another level; with his stoic and serious portrayal, the tension of his lifestyle on screen was palpable.
On the other hand, Adia, who plays Ali’s daughter, brought a believable performance to the film. Some of YM3’s most emotional moments were delivered through Adia herself, including the announcement of her mother’s passing, as well as near the end of the film, where she begs God for the safe return of her father.
As her father falls from taking multiple bullets to the chest, the camera flows through the floor to where Adia is in a guest bedroom, kneeling with her forehead on the ground, where she is speaking directly to Allah.
“Please God, bring Baba home,” she pleads.
It’s a moment when there was not a dry eye in the theatre. Having already lost her mother, Adia’s character realizes the sacrifices made by her Baba.
YM3 successfully blends both the importance of a mother in a family and the need for a father.
Just before she prays, Adia is speaking to her younger brother, played by young actor Jahleel Kamara. She is reading him a hadith aloud, which is a recorded report of the sayings and actions attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The one she reads discusses a conversation between Prophet Muhammad and another man.
The man asked the Prophet, “Who is most deserving of my good company?” to which he replied, “Your mother.” The man then asked, “Then who?” to which the Prophet answered, “Your mother,” two more times, before telling the man, “Your father.”
This leads Kamara’s character to say, “Baba’s cooked.” Explaining after that his father was trying to fill shoes three times his size.
This struck a chord for both Adia and audience members, depicting the theme of utter desperation Ali had been feeling throughout the film.
Desperation to survive, desperation to keep his loved ones alive, desperation to protect his children, and desperation to keep up with his faith.
Ali delivered a particularly strong performance. As for his swordsmanship, it’s clear Marvel missed out on some serious talent.
TIFF-goers can check out Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother for a final time at the Princess of Wales Theatre on Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m., before the film hits select theatres at the end of September, with a full release in October.
