JLO, motherhood and lots of action? That promises “A Mãe”, the new bet from Netflix, which premieres this Friday (12). Bruno Rocha and Hugo Gloss chatted with stars Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Paez, who shared all the challenges of the feature film and behindthescenes production.
The plot revolves around a professional assassin (Lopez) trying to protect her 12yearold daughter Zoe (Paez), with whom she hasn’t had any contact since birth. The protagonist had to leave her daughter to protect her, due to an agreement with the FBI after several of the organization’s agents were killed because of her.
However, two criminals from the group she was involved with escaped and when the girl is already 12 years old, the bandits appear again to kidnap her. The assassin must then leave her hiding place in Alaska and embark on a “suicide mission” in which she must contact a mafia to save the young woman. From there, mother and daughter build a relationship from scratch as she teaches the girl how to survive the furious hunt.
With Hugo Gloss, Lopez reflected on the nuances of the character and the way she exerts “her mother’s love.” “I would definitely describe her as protective. I would describe her as a learning person because at the beginning of the film she had to give up her daughter to protect her. In that sense it is selfless. And also very loving, but in a reserved way. “It’s not as obvious as you would imagine from a mother’s traditional pattern,” the actress explained.
Jennifer Lopez in The Mother. (Photo: Playback/Netflix)
Motherhood on and off the screen
In addition to many adventure, danger and action sequences, the feature film addresses the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. According to Lucy, Jennifer acted as a kind of mentor during filming. “I think it was very easy for her to look after me. She is a very maternal person. If she got something, I got something on set too. She winked at me encouragingly. I learned a lot from her, from her work ethic. And I know I always say that, but I’ll always say it because it was something that really, really impressed me.”
Paez then recalled an episode that shocked her about Jennifer’s way of working. “The day before we started filming, she was at the MTV Awards and then she came to Smithers, which is near Alaska. It’s in Canada. And she wore white pants. White, actually like white pants. There was a lot of mud, a lot of snow, and she literally performed every action that was written in the script. She was the character, with her super white pants in the mud, and she loved it! However, the day before she was at the MTV Awards singing in a beautiful pink dress. Understand me? They’re completely different personalities!” Lucy praised.
“And the other day she was at the Met Gala in a beautiful dress. This is Jennifer Lopez. Only she can do that!” joked Bruno Rocha.
Lopez and Paez play mother and daughter in the new feature film. (Photo: Playback/Netflix)
heavy workout
“A Mãe” also served as the stage for a “new version” of JLo. In the feature film, we see the singeractress as an action and “battery” heroine, very different from the characters the diva has already played on the big screen. When asked about the difficulties of becoming a “killing machine,” Jennifer replied that her training as a dancer helped her, but the physical demands of the role were still challenging.
“[O treinamento] it was very specific. Learn how to assemble a sniper rifle and understand the weapon because my character is the best sniper. She’s just not a good sniper. She was said to be the best her academy had ever seen. And in the army, in the military training program. And the fighting part was important too. Because she was a war veteran and the way we choreographed those scenes was very challenging.”
“My training as a dancer, my training in general and my habit of working out and keeping in shape have helped me a lot. Because I feel like I have an athletic build, but it was a different kind of movement. I really had to figure out how to make it seem authentic, like I could actually wrestle a grown man. And I could fire that gun hundreds of meters away or something like that. So it was definitely a challenge. But I really enjoyed learning! Was difficult. “It was actually really hard,” JLo admitted.
“But you’re capable of anything!” Rocha praised. “I did it!” the singer cheered with a laugh.
The actress revealed that her experience as a dancer helped in the fight sequences. (Photo: Playback/Netflix)
friendship behind the scenes
Finally, Lucy talked about her closeness to the actress and how a friendship developed between them over the course of the recording. “It is very funny [ser amiga de Jennifer]. It is too much. She’s really a lot of fun. We made TikToks together. We made boomerangs. She happens to start singing and I sing along and we have a great relationship. “We’re good together,” said the young woman, making the diva laugh.
“You know, when we did the film early on, I was very into the character. And it’s funny because even if she sees me now, she’s like, ‘Wow, you’re so pretty!'” laughed Lopez. “I remember the first photo shoot for promotional purposes. I saw her and said, “Wow!” “You’re very glamorous.” Because, you know, I was used to looking at her with a mother’s energy, walking around like “the mother” and all that. And now I see her and it’s like, “Wow!” “Me, dressed up next to you, I look like someone about to go to McDonald’s,” Paez joked. Watch the full conversation:
The Mother premieres May 12 on Netflix. Starring in the production alongside Lopez and Paez are Gael Garcia Bernal and Joseph Fiennes. Director: Niki Caro. Who will watch?!