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Directed by: Pedro Almodovar Starring: Javier Camara, Dario Grandinetti, Leonor Watling Pedro Almodovar gives us another gem of the Spanish cinema. Since I speak the language, I'm a big fan of Spanish-language films. Subtitles mute much of the subtlety so often found in contemporary European films. Talk to Her plays like a more-interesting version of a soap opera. Events that lead the characters towards one another are miraculously contrived, if at times a bit unbelievable. The plot's timeline is interspersed with a great deal of flashback-told development, mostly of the two primaries, Marco and Benigno. As such, we are plunged into each of their motivations, and as bizarre as both their lives may be, it is surprisingly easy to empathize with them. It is a difficult thing for a filmmaker to make us understand eccentric or unusual characters, and Almodovar is a master at it. The cinematography, especially amidst the production design, is breathtaking. Almodovar bathes his sets with warm tones, backlit by the unique Spanish landscape. On top of this, there are recurrent and interesting things that revolve around these well-constructed settings and their interaction with the weather, travel, and the characters' moods. While this is a love story, there is little development of female characters, so the romances are very one-sided, as some of the characters are in a coma. However, this is likely purposeful on Almodovar's part - and the sweetness of observing this sort of unrequited love is perhaps what I enjoyed best about the film. Any fan of the often cerebral Mediterranean cinema will definitely enjoy this film. Furthermore, if you like Talk to Her, you'll certainly get a kick out of Almodovar's other work, as he has a very powerful and distinctive style. RATING: 5.0 PROS: Excellent acting, intriguing and unique script, extremely deep and well-developed characters, great score. CONS: Far-fetched at times, empty female characters. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287467/
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Aug 8, 2004 19:21
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 06:16 |
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A nice surprise. The only other Almodovar film I've seen is Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down which was a long time ago and I wasn't too impressed. But this was quite a masterpiece. Funny, daring, unique, hypnotic. Wonderful "interlude" sequences of music and dance, and the silent film-within-the-film was brilliant. Loved it. Rating: 4.5
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Feb 11, 2005 18:46
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