Two Mothers

Two Mothers is probably the most standard lesbian pregnancy drama film I’ve seen. And I’ve seen most of them. Two Mothers hits every single plot point I expect films in this genre to hit and lacks any unique “twist” on the concept. The lesbian pregnancy subgenre is full of such similar films. I find this particular movie to be probably the most middling example of the subgenre, for better or worse.

You know the drill for the plot. Two Mothers is about a lesbian couple struggling to conceive. Isabella wants desperately to get pregnant. Her partner, Katja, is supportive of this. But conception for a lesbian couple in Germany is less than straightforward. Many pathways are closed to them as Germany doesn’t recognize same-sex couples for fertility treatments. And when they do find avenues to pursue, all of them cost money. As the months go on and Isabella still struggles to conceive, Katja begins to have doubts. But Isabella is oblivious to her partner’s growing distance and distress.

I want to give a special acknowledgement to Two Mothers for being 75 minutes long. There isn’t any padding here. This movie gets right to the point and stays there. I’m also relieved this particular lesbian pregnancy drama doesn’t feature any sort of ex-boyfriend sperm donor relationship drama, which is a common subplot I dislike. This one really just focuses on these two women and their difficult fertility journey. And boy, does it focus. The film gets so into the nitty gritty of things like specific financial cost and scenes of Isabella getting inseminated at the doctor that I wonder if a documentary would’ve been the better choice for this story. Two Mothers seems to be chasing realism. And it largely achieves it. It achieves it so well that I do think maybe if this story had been about real people, it would have more of an impact.

Part of the film’s focus on realism is a pretty unremarkable style of filming. There’s no real artistic flourishes here. It’s a lot of handheld camera filming the leads at middle distance. Scenes usually play out without a lot of notable camera moves to add interest. The whole film has a very muted, blue and grey colour pallet which gives the whole film a chilly feeling. It feels very by-the-book in a way that is perfectly fine, but far from exceptional. The chilly, no-nonsense feel of the film didn’t really do much for the way I stereotypically think of the country of Germany, let me tell you.

Weird as it is to say, this film lacks conflict. At least initially. Yes, Isabella struggles to get pregnant. That’s conflict. But that means most of the movie is basically the absence of something happening. It takes a while before there’s any sort of development or stakes regarding Isabella and Katja’s relationship. While it perhaps appears too late, this element is pretty strong. You watch as the ever-enthusiastic Isabella works toward something she wants. But beside her, Katja grow increasingly despondent and downcast. The second half of the film deals with the toll taken on their relationship and the way Isabella begins to ignore Katja and her needs. Setting this up more strongly in the first half would’ve really benefited the movie. Because in the first half, these women don’t feel like characters. They’re just objects to express this story about how lesbian pregnancy in Germany should be easier.

I respect the focus of Two Mothers. Especially after seeing a lot of lesbian pregnancy movies that lack this trait. But the film isn’t exactly memorable. Its focus on providing realism is respectable and well done. But it still makes the film something of a dull sit. The visuals are largely uninteresting and character development only happens in the second half. Still, if you want to see one lesbian pregnancy drama, I probably would suggest Two Mothers. It’s basically every single lesbian pregnancy drama at once minus any sort of subplot.

Overall rating: 5.5/10

Other WLW films in similar genres