I can't say this is a bad film, but I can say people let Almodovar go away with a lot of things others wouldn't get a chance.
First, the guy knows how to direct. Knows how to use the camera, how to use the colours, interior spaces and how to take the best of the cast. Penelope does an impressive job here, much more if you think about the range of emotions and how much effortless it looks like. I think the main story is quite interesting even if slightly predictable from the first scene. I also like that Almodovar is still very ambitious, even if he doesn't need to be it anymore, but...narratively, this is a mess.
I don't know how to mix these two stories - the present with the mothers and the past related with Franco's crimes in Spain - but maybe there is a reason for that: because they don't make a lot of sense together. It always feels like two separate films and even if I liked the final scene, I think Pedro tries to lecture us too much (and I agree with his message about those past crimes and how Spain is dealing with that).
It's watchable, maybe it deserved a 6, but I definitely didn't feel as invested as I should have been considering the two main themes.
First, the guy knows how to direct. Knows how to use the camera, how to use the colours, interior spaces and how to take the best of the cast. Penelope does an impressive job here, much more if you think about the range of emotions and how much effortless it looks like. I think the main story is quite interesting even if slightly predictable from the first scene. I also like that Almodovar is still very ambitious, even if he doesn't need to be it anymore, but...narratively, this is a mess.
I don't know how to mix these two stories - the present with the mothers and the past related with Franco's crimes in Spain - but maybe there is a reason for that: because they don't make a lot of sense together. It always feels like two separate films and even if I liked the final scene, I think Pedro tries to lecture us too much (and I agree with his message about those past crimes and how Spain is dealing with that).
It's watchable, maybe it deserved a 6, but I definitely didn't feel as invested as I should have been considering the two main themes.