The Mothers' Triangle

Filmed over a four-year period, filmmaker Inbal Goldstein's The Mothers' Triangle is a raw and often depressing portrait of thirtysomething Mary, a child victim of sexual abuse and single mother at the age of 16; Christina, Mary's live-at-home 18-year-old daughter, a single mother with a volatile temper; and Christina's son, Cristian, whom both mother and grandmother raise. Chronicling the unhealthy codependency of mother and daughter through numerous interviews and casual footage of their daily routines, the film is free of the customary sentiment: the pair do not reconcile, mature, or overcome their myriad hurdles; indeed, they both fail in several crucial aspects as daughter, mother, and grandmother. We watch Christina go from boyfriend to boyfriend without seeking help for her aggressive behavior or even seeming aware of its effect on her son, and see Mary sink further into depression, focusing on her grandson to the point where she threatens to alienate him from his mother. Even when Christina finally leaves home—a move that typically signals a critical first step in a person's maturation—it's clear that the problems will continue. Mary states, perhaps rightly, that both she and Christina are casualties of Mary's past, but Mary's increasing sense of victimization, exacerbated by a life-threatening illness and (according to Christina) drug abuse, ultimately drives Christina to secure a restraining order against her mother. A bitter and riveting portrait of one woman's lack of heart and another woman's lack of strength, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)