Pedro Almodovar is the greatest living Spanish director. With astounding ease, humor and and uncanny ability to balance tragedy and comedy, he returns in "All About My Mother" to the tone, characters and themes that have made his movies beloved around the world. This film glides graciously from scenes of powerful intimacy and pain to others of outrageous humor, each time transitioning so effortlessly as to seem almost improvised or documentary-like. Undoubtedly, this must be because Almodovar's story lines and characters are often inspired by his own actors, so that fiction and reality seem to blend almost unnoticeably. But above all, the film is unequivocally orchestrated by a master artist story-teller who knows how to weave several story lines together in such a way that he shows us life from his uniquely personal view while making it seem like it is in fact our own.
"All About My Mother" is, like all of Almodovar's films, filled with splendid female roles, spectacular acting, ravishing colors, meticulous cinematography (his second time utilizing the wide-screen scope format,) editing and music. The dialogue -- both in Spanish and English subtitles -- sparkles with a crispness that is characteristically Almodovar's (think of the line, "Prada is good for nuns."!)
Whatever else you miss this year, do not miss this wonderful film. If this is your first Almodovar film, you'll understand why he can be credited with singlehandedly putting Spanish cinema back on the international map in the mid 1980's. If it isn't, you will see the master at the peak of his powers, enjoy a dazzling ensemble of veteran actresses play parts like they don't make anymore and understand what all the hoopla is about.
"All About My Mother" is, like all of Almodovar's films, filled with splendid female roles, spectacular acting, ravishing colors, meticulous cinematography (his second time utilizing the wide-screen scope format,) editing and music. The dialogue -- both in Spanish and English subtitles -- sparkles with a crispness that is characteristically Almodovar's (think of the line, "Prada is good for nuns."!)
Whatever else you miss this year, do not miss this wonderful film. If this is your first Almodovar film, you'll understand why he can be credited with singlehandedly putting Spanish cinema back on the international map in the mid 1980's. If it isn't, you will see the master at the peak of his powers, enjoy a dazzling ensemble of veteran actresses play parts like they don't make anymore and understand what all the hoopla is about.