As Episode 1 of "The Good Mothers" (2023 release from Italy; 6 episodes of about an hour each) opens, we are reminded this is "based on a true story". It is "January 3, 2010" and a bomb explodes at the local prosecutor's offices in Calabria to send a message to the new prosecutor looking into the Ndrangheta mafia. In a parallel story line, we are introduced to Lea and her daughter Denise who are on their way to reunite with their husband/father. Before we know it, Lea mysteriously disappears... At this point we are less than 15 minutes into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this TV mini-series jumps back-and-forth in time but most of it plays out between 2008 and 2011. If you wonder where in Italy Calabria is, it is the "toe" of the Italian boot, across from where Sicily is located. Calabria is remote, isolated, and mostly poor. But that didn't stop the local mafia, called Ndrangheta, from doing what the mafia does: they intimidate, extort, abuse, and kill people, all for the mobsters' financial gain. The women within the mobster families are treated with disdain and disrespect, and worse. Despite the long odds and lack of resources, several of them decide to stand up. This is tense and at time difficult watching. But it makes for compelling viewing. This is a no-star cast, except of course Gaia Girace, one of the two stars from "My Brilliant Friend". Girace is still only 20, and she has limitless potential. Can't wait to see what she'll do next. PLEASE NOTE: I watched this in the original Italian version, and for whatever reason in several long stretches, the subtitling's timing was off, as in: the subtitles showed about a second too soon, and hence didn't completely synchronize with the voices. Super annoying.
The first 2 episodes of "The Good Mothers" premiered at the Berlin film festival earlier this year to immediate acclaim. I read a nice review of this mini-series in the New York Times, and that was good enough for me to check it out. It's currently streaming on Hulu, and I watched all 6 episodes over 2 evenings. If you are in the mood for a tense Italian crime drama from a female perspective, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
