It's a shame that this had to be my first Almodóvar film and, also, that such a personal film had to be so lackluster.
Almodóvar, from what I've seen, has had a resounding reputation. It has always made noise not because of the stories he wants to tell, but because of the breathlessness it gives them when executing them.
Unfortunately, the plot point that ended up in the background was the most interesting. It talks about identity, family legacies and appreciating the history that comes with them. However, it's almost as if this story only serves Almodóvar to start and finish his script. It only gets mentioned in such a superficial way that you manage to connect with it, but because of the film's lack of attempt to instill that feeling in you.
The love story had so much meaning and potential; being the grief of becoming a mother and accepting the guidance of people who connect with you and your feelings towards a similar situation that laid the foundation for the relationship. It was the movie's job to build it up, but the movie decides not to do it until an hour and a half later? Leaving us with an exaggeratedly limited amount of time to connect with something that had the potential for something greater, but which, in one way or another, is still delightful to appreciate. Which leaves me wondering if the film had something to say in the first place, even when, appreciating the larger margin, I admit that it did.
On a technical side, not only did most of the close-ups look like they were shot behind a green screen - I guess it was because of the type of lens - they also could've only popped up every once in a while, thus having more plot impact. A lot of my problems are due to the editing work that, for some reason, created a weird pacing for the movie. It itself doesn't rush to tell the story, but the editing work seems to do the opposite. There are ENTIRE scenes that can be cut and instead give the others enough time to shine through; holding certain shots longer, creating more depth in the intimacy of conversations.
Parallel Mothers just feels like an opportunity wasted. In the moments when he really wants to say something, he doesn't say it, he shouts it. But at the same time, he plays it safe in stories that have the potential to provide innovative and interesting insight.
Almodóvar, from what I've seen, has had a resounding reputation. It has always made noise not because of the stories he wants to tell, but because of the breathlessness it gives them when executing them.
Unfortunately, the plot point that ended up in the background was the most interesting. It talks about identity, family legacies and appreciating the history that comes with them. However, it's almost as if this story only serves Almodóvar to start and finish his script. It only gets mentioned in such a superficial way that you manage to connect with it, but because of the film's lack of attempt to instill that feeling in you.
The love story had so much meaning and potential; being the grief of becoming a mother and accepting the guidance of people who connect with you and your feelings towards a similar situation that laid the foundation for the relationship. It was the movie's job to build it up, but the movie decides not to do it until an hour and a half later? Leaving us with an exaggeratedly limited amount of time to connect with something that had the potential for something greater, but which, in one way or another, is still delightful to appreciate. Which leaves me wondering if the film had something to say in the first place, even when, appreciating the larger margin, I admit that it did.
On a technical side, not only did most of the close-ups look like they were shot behind a green screen - I guess it was because of the type of lens - they also could've only popped up every once in a while, thus having more plot impact. A lot of my problems are due to the editing work that, for some reason, created a weird pacing for the movie. It itself doesn't rush to tell the story, but the editing work seems to do the opposite. There are ENTIRE scenes that can be cut and instead give the others enough time to shine through; holding certain shots longer, creating more depth in the intimacy of conversations.
Parallel Mothers just feels like an opportunity wasted. In the moments when he really wants to say something, he doesn't say it, he shouts it. But at the same time, he plays it safe in stories that have the potential to provide innovative and interesting insight.