Broken Embraces

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Pedro World is a perfect haven, a warm cave filled with invention, brilliance, constant emotional intrigue, suspense, and exactitude. It's a place to hang, a place of assurance that always mesmerizes and delights and makes you feel well taken care of, like you're staying in some $2000-a-night hotel in some tranquil valley.

I'm not saying that the pleasures of the films by Pedro Almodovar are better because they're less gnarly or challenging or easy-to-figure than the creations of Park Chan-Wook, Andrea Arnold, Gaspar Noe or Jacques Audiard. I'm saying that Almodovar is a master director-shaman who always knows exactly what he's doing and how to work it...and I mean precisely. So much so that even his not-quite-great films, like Broken Embraces, are still exquisite gourmet meals.

Which is why earlier today I said that Broken Dreams is "easily the most fully realized, thematically satisfying, self-assured and purely entertaining film of the festival so far. Not as fully emotional as Almodovar's best films, but on a very high station in the second tier. Way in front of anything I've seen so far."

Partly a romantric noir, partly a tragedy about playing around, largely about creative creation and holding to a vision and putting things right in the end, the story spans some 16 years (set in '08, flashing back to '92 and '94). It focused on a film director (Luis Homar) who's lost the love of his life (Penelope Cruz) as well as his eyesight to a jealous lover, and how after much revelation achieves a kind of satisfaction in the end. I'll say no more except that it's a profound and enriching finish all around.

What's not quite 100% about it? The who-did-what, what's-happening-next? and what-really-happened-14-years-ago? element seems to slightly dilute or compromise the emotionality.

But the pleasures of simply appreciating the craft in Broken Embraces aren't messed with in the slightest. The way Almodovar's multi-layered and multi-toned story is so expertly written (by himself), performed by Cruz and Homar and everyone on down, woven together by editor Jose Salcedo and shot by Rodrigo Prieto, etc. I didn't want it to end. It just won't stop caressing and knocking you out. I could easily watch it again right now.

I could catch at the Salle du Soixentieme tomorrow, for instance, but I won't since Wednesday is my final festival day with Inglourious Basterds starting things off at 8:30 am and finishing with Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon and Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell. Plus the usual filing and running around and packing.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 19, 2009 at 11:56 AM

comment #1

Abbey Normal says ...

I love Almodovar, but I am hopelessly infatuated with Penelope Cruz. In my lifetime, no other actress has aged anywhere near as well, either from a talent or looks perspective. In fact I wasn't even really interested in her until she turned 30 or so; now I can't get her out of head.

Posted by Abbey Normal at May 19, 2009 12:12 PM

comment #2

actionman says ...

Wow, what a day you have coming up tomorrow.

I had the pleasure of taking a class in college where we watched Almodovar's entire body of work over the course of a semester (Talk to Her was his newest film, which we saw in the theater).

My favorite, if for no other reason than because it's so happily deranged, is Dark Habits. You a'int seen nothing until you see a nun tripping on acid.

I've been a big fan of most of Almodovar's work and Broken Embraces sounds excellent based on your review. Looking forward.

Posted by actionman at May 19, 2009 1:00 PM

comment #3

/3rtfu11 says ...

He doesn't make bad movies.

Posted by /3rtfu11 at May 19, 2009 1:25 PM

comment #4

bfm says ...

No other actress has aged anywhere near as well from a looks perspective? She's just turned 35. Christ. In what world is that elderly?

Posted by bfm at May 19, 2009 1:34 PM

comment #5

Chase Kahn says ...

No matter how great Cruz was in "Volver", I just can't bring myself to love it.

Posted by Chase Kahn at May 19, 2009 2:32 PM

comment #6

actionman says ...

I agree, Chase. Great performance...a decent movie.

Posted by actionman at May 19, 2009 3:56 PM

comment #7

BurmaShave says ...

bfm, I know exactly what abbey is saying. She's in her prime.

Posted by BurmaShave at May 19, 2009 4:33 PM

comment #8

/3rtfu11 says ...

No matter how great Cruz was in "Volver", I just can't bring myself to love it.

The film's ending actually made it a great movie. It was decent for 90% of its running time until the ending kicked in and made it great.

Posted by /3rtfu11 at May 19, 2009 6:54 PM

comment #9

Sabina E says ...

Almodovar is every serious actress's wet dream. He always creates the most amazing, intelligent, interesting, versatile, strong roles for actresses, unlike most directors/writers.

Posted by Sabina E at May 19, 2009 8:06 PM

comment #10

Nick X says ...

If you saw the Noe and the Park films, Jeff, I want to hear what you thought of them.

Posted by Nick X at May 20, 2009 3:43 AM

comment #11

Jeffrey Wells says ...

The Gaspar Noe film won't show until Friday -- I asked about seeing it before and the rep said it won't be ready until Friday -- and I'm leaving tomorrow morning.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at May 20, 2009 5:08 AM

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