‘Mafia Mamma’ Review – Toni Collette Cannot Save This Inconsistent Crime Comedy

Directed By: Catherine Hardwicke

Starring: Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci

Summary: An American mom inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy. Guided by the firm’s consigliere, she hilariously defies everyone’s expectations as the new head of the family business.

Toni Collette is amongst the most talented and engaging actors of our generation. It’s a travesty she has never won an Oscar for her work. As of writing this, she has only been nominated for one golden statute for The Sixth Sense, way back in 1999. Maybe worse though, is the fact that such a dazzling chameleon of the screen is saddled with this undercooked pasta of a movie. It was because of her that Mafia Mamma piqued our interest – after all, if Collette agreed to be in it, you figure that it has to have some redeeming qualities. Nope. Where do we being with the problems?

From the start, Mafia Mamma has a weak core premise. It feels like a weird hybrid the whacky fish-out-of-water style movies you would see in the ‘90s meets the edgy gross-out comedy of the early ‘00s. Oh, and it’s gory for some reason? (More on that later). There is a scenario which all of this could have worked. Sadly, though, the screenplay is woefully underdeveloped. Characters are flat, and try as they may to flesh out Kristin (Toni Collette), she still comes off like a checklist of tropes. It’s a lot of tell, rather than show. For example, we don’t really get a clear sense of who Kristen is, only what the character tells us. Compare this with another raunchy comedy which works much better, Bridesmaids. Thanks to amazing writing and hilarious gags, we not only firmly know who Annie (Kristen Wiig) is, but she is relatable – absurdities and all.

Even the central narrative doesn’t make much sense. Why would you want some outsider handling your vast operations? The screenwriter doesn’t seem interested in making this feel logical, you just need to go with it. The men hired to protect Kristin are woefully terrible at their job, which leads to her life being put into danger. Oh, and do you like lazy Godfather references? To the point they are actually name checking it? No? Well, too bad, as we get a lot of this, and it’s not remotely funny. This is a comedy which is painfully unfunny. Jokes feel awkward, and even when they do manage to land on a funny bit, it always goes on way too long. It’s way more groans than any chuckles. By the end, it tries slapping on a hokey, finding yourself message, which is lazy as it is corny.

The film also has a weird tonal disconnect. For example, in one scene you’ll get a fart joke then very graphic scenes of eye balls being popped out à la Lucio Fulci. Of course, this is not to suggest that hard-R violence can’t thrive in a comedy – just look at Deadpool. Yet, Mafia Mamma’s screenplay isn’t built to support this, and thus, it feels very much out of place. You might be wondering, is this so jarring that it can fit into the category of “so-bad-its-enjoyable?” Unfortunately, that is not the case, as the movie is just too bland outside of the oddball splatter flourishes.

Someone needs to check on Toni Collette’s back, as she completely carries this movie. She does a lot with the hacky dialogue and shallow character, which is not to suggest that the other actors are bad. In fact, they do the best with what they are given to work with, it’s just nobody else really stands out besides Collette. Mafia Mamma feels like direct-to-video fodder which somehow landed Toni Collette. This movie does not have a funny bone in its underwritten, bullet-riddled body. While we still adore Collette, it does make us wonder why this project attracted her.

Mafia Mamma will debut in theaters on April 14, 2023 courtesy of Bleecker Street. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2UNT1pLP6g]