‘Mafia Mamma’ (2023) Review: The Godmother of a Mafia Family

Toni Collette as Kristin Balbano Jordan. Image courtesy of Bleecker Street.

Catherine Hardwicke’s Mafia Mamma gunshots, dead bodies, stereotypical Italian music, and a mafia family who are at the beginning of a war with another family. But this isn’t the film’s central plot. The story begins with Kristin Balbano Jordan (Toni Collette), who finds that her estranged grandfather left her to run the family business. Mafia Mamma is not a comedy masterpiece; however, some moments are fun and silly.

Kristin’s life is far from great. She works at a pharmaceutical company surrounded by misogynistic men who ignore her suggestions. Her son leaves for college, and her husband cheats on her. Kristin is frustrated with her life. She hopes that fate intervenes and changes it. When her grandfather’s mafia general, Bianca (Monica Belluci), calls about the family business, she immediately flies to Italy. Kristin thinks of this as a vacation, with food, wine, and men she can date now that she is separated from her husband.

However, when she lands in Italy, everyone is out to kill her. She discovers that the Balbano clan is a well-connected crime family that uses a winery as cover to run their business. Kristin is now the heir of the Balbano family’s business, and she cannot refuse the offer.

Toni Collette and Monica Belluci as Kristin and Bianca. Image courtesy of Bleecker Street.

Mafia Mamma only works because of Collette’s performance. She gives more than she should for a role that undermines her true excellence as an actor. Collette unexpectedly commits herself and delivers funny and touching moments with the rest of her cast. Kristin is constantly underestimated by her peers and even her family, who look down on her. But when she unexpectedly joins the mafia, everyone around her listens to her. She grows more confident as Bianca and the guards trust her with handling the business. This journey demonstrates that Kristin is more suitable for the job than they had expected. She gets the recognition and respect she deserves from her family.

Kristin, Bianca and the rest of the Balbano clan steal every scene and amplify the jokes. It’s clear that Hardwicke is slightly unfamiliar with directing comedy; regardless, she does an excellent job consistently shooting action scenes.

There’s romance, conflict, and comedy; everything needed for a film that centres on an Italian setting. The constant references to The Godfather and the characters’ utter disappointment in Kristin’s lack of knowledge of the film is a running gag, which might be exhausting to some viewers. Mafia Mamma surpasses the comedy expectations, even though some of the moments might be a bit generic.