Mama Weed

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1:53

Mama Weed

2021

1h 45m

Comedy

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A French-Arabic translator for the Paris police anti-narcotics unit, Patience Portefeux (Isabelle Huppert) interprets the daily calls and conversations between the city's biggest drug dealers. In the evenings, she looks in on her aging mother (Liliane Rovère, "Call My Agent") at the long-term care facility where she is months behind in paying the bills. When she overhears the son of one of her mother's nurses on the wiretap, Patience is moved to protect him. But her involvement in his business quickly escalates and she finds herself in possession of a huge store of hash and the insider knowledge required to move it. With her newly adopted retired police dog at her side, Patience transforms into Mama Weed, a savvy saleswoman capitalizing on her field experience to earn the extra income she so desperately needs while doing her best to stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the precinct.

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Critics Consensus

Mama Weed fails to fully engage with its themes -- but that's a relatively small quibble with Isabelle Huppert in the central role.

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

It's a terrific performance in a film that swings gracefully between drama and kinetic farce

Jul 23, 2021

Full Review

Bilge Ebiri

New York Magazine/Vulture

That's the magic of Huppert... her whirling, anxious performance is the main reason to see this picture.

Jul 22, 2021

Full Review

Michael Rechtshaffen

Los Angeles Times

As Huppert's career choices go, "Mama Weed" serves as a perfectly satisfying amuse-bouche before she dives back into the meatier stuff.

Jul 19, 2021

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Awards Radar

Mama Weed is a breezy little dark comedy that you keep wishing would give you that little bit extra, but Huppert fans will likely find the time plenty worth it as she’s clearly having a ball.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 22, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It’s directed by French filmmaker Jean-Paul Salomé who clearly understands what he has in Huppert. He leans on the veteran actress and wisely lets her carry the bulk of load.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Rene Sanchez

Cine Sin Fronteras

Isabelle Huppert is superb. However, this light comedy explores so many themes without fully committing to any of them. [Full Review in Spanish]

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 9, 2021

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Audience Member

Well, this movie received different names before and since its release, thus don't get confused: La Daronne (original title), The Godmother, Mama Weed ("La dona do Barato" in Brasil). It's a quirky story about a policewoman who is simply fed up with her life and takes the opportunity to get back to her roots (as, one learns during the movie, her parents and her husband were on the crooked side as well). It starts a bit slow, but once she sees a chance to better her life and springs into action the whole thing becomes oddly funny and sometimes even hilarious. It's a light and sweet comedy with an excellent Isabelle Huppert. 6/10 points

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

brent m

While this French crime drama-comedy serves up a modest share of chuckles and action sequences, its lack of defined motivations and its overpacked story threads tend to water down what could have been a better film had it incorporated an overall sense of greater clarity. When an underpaid French-Arabic police translator working for the narco squad intercepts an undercover message involving the son of a friend, she tries to intervene to shield him while simultaneously cashing in for herself on privileged (and highly lucrative) information, launching a deluge of hot pursuit against her on multiple fronts. Director Jean-Paul Salome's uneven offering benefits tremendously from the superb performance by the ever-reliable Isabelle Huppert, despite the fact that this vehicle is somewhat beneath her considerable talents. And, when the laughs work, they're genuinely funny, even if they come somewhat few and far between. But, despite these strengths, some judicious overall tidying up is required to make this one work more effectively.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A funny,serious,mischevious film,much more complex & delightful than trailer might lead you to expect. Very fine cast in all the supporting roles,with Ms. Huppert bringing everything to the many facets of her character & her relationships ,as always.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

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Jean-Paul Salomé

Director

Isabelle Huppert

Patience Portefeux

Hippolyte Girardot

Philippe

Farida Ouchani

Kadidja

Liliane Rovère

La mère de Patience

Jade-Nadja Nguyen

Colette Fo

Employee of the Month

69%

33%

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Mama Weed: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A French-Arabic translator for the Paris police anti-narcotics unit, Patience Portefeux (Isabelle Huppert) interprets the daily calls and conversations between the city's biggest drug dealers. In the evenings, she looks in on her aging mother (Liliane Rovère, "Call My Agent") at the long-term care facility where she is months behind in paying the bills. When she overhears the son of one of her mother's nurses on the wiretap, Patience is moved to protect him. But her involvement in his business quickly escalates and she finds herself in possession of a huge store of hash and the insider knowledge required to move it. With her newly adopted retired police dog at her side, Patience transforms into Mama Weed, a savvy saleswoman capitalizing on her field experience to earn the extra income she so desperately needs while doing her best to stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the precinct.

Director: Jean-Paul Salomé
Producer: Kristina Larsen, Jean-Baptiste Dupont
Screenwriter: Hannelore Cayre, Jean-Paul Salomé, Hannelore Cayre
Production Co: Les Films de la Greluche, Scope Pictures, Restons Groupés Production, Doco Digital, Le Pacte, Les Films du Camélia, Les Films du Lendemain, La Boétie Films, Franklin Films
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 16, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 23, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.0K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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