I was not expecting too much out of Mafia Mamma when I saw it at an early Regal screening, but it was truly a blast. The premise is pure fun, as we follow a suburban mother who finds out that she is the granddaughter of a mafia boss. After his death, she learns that she is chosen to take over. What results is an absurdist fish-out-of-water comedy that had me laughing from beginning to end.

Yes, this film is nothing life-changing or brilliant in terms of filmmaking, but while it is important to seek out artful cinema, sometimes you just want to be entertained. To me, that is exactly what Mafia Mamma is. All of the actors kill it, especially Toni Collette and Monica Belluci. Colette commits to every crazy event that happens throughout the film and is believable as someone thrown into the madness of the mafia. She has a lot of fun while also grounding the character and making her down-to-earth and likable. Belluci is a true comic riot and a scene-stealer in every way. She has the innate screen presence necessary to make her character compelling and hilarious. 

The film also has an important message of female empowerment. So many of these kinds of films in the past have looked down on women as less capable than men, whether it’s as the butt of the joke or as the damsel in distress. However, this film is a breath of fresh air thanks to its depiction of its female characters. Mafia Mamma empowers them by giving them the ability to fight back and choose their own destiny.

Mafia Mamma is not some genre-defining masterpiece, and I know that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. However, I had the time of my life while watching it and was practically dancing in the cinema with joy after it ended. It’s plain fun and entertaining film that I highly recommend.

9/10