Film: Broken Embraces
Cast includes: Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Elegy), Lluis Homar (Caótica Ana)
Writer/Director: Pedro Almodóvar (Volver, Talk to Her)
Genre: Romance/suspense Spanish with subtitles
In brief: Harry Caine is a pseudonym. Harry used to be Mateo, but that was a long time ago. Today Harry enjoys life as a successful writer. Not even his blindness keeps him from indulging his pleasures, when he finds them. A notice in the paper of Ernesto Martel’s death plus a visit from the mysterious Ray X cause Harry to revisit the events of 14 years ago. In 1994, Mateo was casting a movie. When the spectacularly beautiful Lena read for a part, Mateo could not get her out of his mind.
Lena had been the mistress of the much older Ernesto for a couple of years, ever since he kindly helped her dying father get medical treatment. But the problem with having such a young beautiful mistress is that Ernesto lives in fear of losing her. When Lena wins a part in Mateo’s film, Ernesto can hardly contain his jealousy. The situation becomes even more tangled when Ernesto’s son by a previous marriage wants to be part of the movie project.
The plot is complex with unexpected twists and turns, but there’s something comforting about Almodóvar’s use of the familiar. The music, for example, is a throwback to Alfred Hitchcock’s romance-thrillers of the 50s. Many of the scenes have a warmly retro feel, while the storyline touches on romance, mystery, melodrama and suspense. But don’t mistake it for an American movie… Almodóvar’s narratives are deeply rooted in his “Spanish-ness.”
3 popped kernels
Popped kernels for the retro classic feel and story...excellent acting... especially PC.
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Neither upbeat nor somber
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: Spanish
Social Significance: Thought provoking
