Pain and Glory (2019) User Reviews (212)

Past and present

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 6 May 2021]

We are what we are, because of choices we made and people we met. Our past defines who we are today. Can we change if we think we go a direction that isn't a "good" one? Maybe we can - but that is not the major revelation or plot that you get served here.

Here you get a director, who seems to have lost his ... muse and sense and so many other things. Not his will to live of course ... no matter what he does or what he puts in his body, nothing implicates he has lost that will. Quite the opposite can be seen (subtly I'd say) in an interaction he has while buying drugs at a know place apparently.

He has regrets, he has sorrows and he still has a lot of things in him that want to get out (one way or another). Played fantastically by Antonio Banderas - you almost forget how he is in real life, so mellow, so convincing is his performance! Well done and another collaboration with Almodovar and him that shows they are a great pairing. Certain things may offend you no matter the rating - drug use, homosexuality and so forth. But those are part of life ... maybe not yours or mine ... but they are there - they exist. For this character more than for others.

Antonio Banderas is on his way to Oscar ceremony

[danielnikrasov · 8/10 · 19 August 2019]

(Antonio Banderas won Best Actor award at the Cannes festival because he played Almodóvar).

I know there are tons of autobiographical films about a painful past and unfinished business (in Hollywood), but Almodóvar reflects his own past very well.

Almodóvar's "Pain and Glory" is very beautifully shot and well-described autobiographical film about emptiness, recollection of the past and most importantly, about salvation. The film also describes well pain, sadness, self discovery, forgiveness, regret, all these feelings that the director is going through.

Without spoiling anything, the story is about a known Spanish director, Salvador Mallo, who reflects his choices made in his life (from his childhood to his cinema career) as past and present come crashing around him.

Almodóvar wanted to represent his life and memories from his life, bathred boundless desire to live and love that guide us to forgiveness with oneself and others. He's entering the stage where he's no longer have inspiration, but he uses his life as a cinema fiction. Almodóvar reflects mostly to his past as something painful and unfinished. Only with the return of ourselves, with coping with the painful past, we have the possibility to rehabilitate ourselves. As I mentioned, Antonio gives a great performance as a reconstructed fella with a passion.

I think whoever watched Almodóvar's previous pieces would enjoy from his new personal film about a person's valuable soul.

Engaging and thoughtful Pedro Almodovar drama with biographic elements, being well played by Antonio Banderas

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 17 November 2020]

It deals with an aging director called Salvador Mallo in the twilight if his long career : Antonio Banderas/Pedro Almodovar , suffering chronical illness . The mature Salvador has seeen better days and he self-medicates between his continuous depression . Along the way , he reminds his mother : Penelope Cruz , his absent father : Raúl Arevalo , his sweet childhood in a village , his first crush on an adolescent , their home at a cave , the search for cinematic hits and happiness and several others incidents .

Typical Almodovar film with biographic remarks concerning a filmmaker , Almodovar alter-ego, who suffers ordinary pain and a mental blockade who impedes to write and shot movies . These incoveniences reflect on his life , as he reminds his past life , loves , shooting and finds old friends and a previous lover . At last , he has a reborn , and a creative salvation outbursts in the way of a self-biographic storyline . The plot happens between these two subplots , his childhood along with his mom : Peneope Cruz/Julieta Serrano and the longest : adulthood period in which Banderas/Almodovar has relations with other roles as Nora Navas playing his friend/helper , the stage actor played Asier Etxeandia , an ex-lover performed by Leonardo Sbaraglia , and a doctor interpreted by Pedro Casablanc. The magnificent cast give very good interpretations , Antonio Banderas is sensational imitating gestures , grimace and visage of Pedro Almodovar himself. And other actors as Etxeandia , Julieta Serrano as the aging mother , Cecilia Roth, Susi Sanchez , Cesar Vicente , Julian López , all of them deliver nice acting . And brief appearance by the great musical star Rosalía. Special mention for the colorful and evocative cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine, Almodovar's regular . Being filmed on location in Paterna, Valencia, Aranjuez and Madrid . It contains adequate but sad musical score by Alberto Iglesias who has composed several soundtracks in Almodovar films . And , of course , adding Chavela Vargas' songs .

The motion picture was well directed by Pedro Almodovar in his usual style , being produced by his brother Agustín who appears in a cameo, as usual, and financed by their Production Company " El Deseo" . Being nominated for 2 Acaddemy Awards , another 68 wins and 161 nominations . This new Almodovar realization got success enough at boxoffice . Almodovar is deemed to be one of the best Spanish filmmakers. He has got a lot of hits with his dramas , such as : " Talk to her" , "Volver" , "The Flower of my Secret", "The Sin I live in" , "Abrazos Rotos" , "Carne Trémula" , "Tacones Lejanos", "Matador" , "Que he hecho para merecer esto" . But Almodovar also has made comedies as " Women on the Edge of Breakdown", "Kika" , "I am so excited" and "Pepi, Lucía and Boom" , among others . Rating 6.5/ 10. The picture will appeal to Pedro Almodovar enthusiasts .

The torment behind the genius

[LenaKrones · 9/10 · 24 March 2019]

As Salvador (exquisitely played by Antonio Banderas) says in the movie "A great actor is not the one who cries, but the one who knows how to contain the tears" and I think that describes the movie perfectly, you feel the pain in every scene but never get the chance to let that emotion overcome, it's a beautiful and raw portrayal of life in a way we've never seen Almodóvar do before, the film breathes a diaphanous simplicity and spontaneity, far from what we're used to see from the filmmaker. Every aspect of this movie felt very personal and intimate, almost like reading someone's diary while it's being written or someone sharing a part of their soul, i'm sure this movie wasn't easy to make.

This is a story about pain, sadness, solitude, self discovery, forgiveness and regret but most of all, it's a movie about overcoming and I honestly feel this is one of his best works in recent years.

He couldn't pick the better name for this work.

[ulzhana-32986 · 10/10 · 31 March 2019]

The story about the artistic crisis and depression. Once the noise of the glory goes away, there's nothing but emptiness and pain inside. Almodóvar has created this autobiographical masterpiece during his darkest and the most lonely moments in his life. It's different from everything that the genius had shared with the world before. Feeling of loneliness and pain in every scene, that makes a glory so unimportant and empty, when you have no one to share it with. The director made the audience hold the breath while he was speaking and sharing his most intimate secrets, his memories and regrets about the past.

Endless respect for Almodóvar for making this autobiographical movie so personal and sincere.

In its quiet way, reflects the director

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 19 May 2021]

A filmmaker (Antonio Banderas) deals with physical and mental ailments as he approaches old age, settling in to a sad kind of torpor as he reflects on life. People have come and gone and the real pain here seems to be quiet melancholy of regret, his body's (significant) issues notwithstanding. The film meanders a bit and suffers at times with pacing, but through his reflections and flashbacks, it tells a touching story about coming to peace with those we've known in life.

There's the filmmaker's mother (Penélope Cruz), who sent him to a seminary for most of his schooling because she had no money for a secular education, which led to him not learning much. In old age she dies alone in a hospital instead of in her home village, where he had promised to take her. (Oddly, the actor playing the elderly mother, Julieta Serrano, has blue eyes whereas Cruz's are brown, which was a little jarring to me). These are the things that swirl around in his mind as he still grieves over losing her.

There is also the actor from one of his popular films (Asier Etxeandia), who he had a falling out with decades ago, but who he reconnects with and is then introduced to heroin by. He casually tries it and then alarmingly we see him quickly hooked, which makes for what seemed like one of the longer subplots, which I wasn't all that interested in. There is an old lover who surfaces (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a man who disappeared out of his life and is now married with children, and the scene the two share is full of authenticity and warmth. He also recalls a time in childhood when he tutored a handyman for payment of services to his mother, and felt the first flush of desire when he saw him bathing.

I think Almodóvar was wise to draw a line at this last character not physically meeting him decades later, as it gave the film realism and a wistful bit of sentimentality. True to form, he also gives the viewer an explosion of primary colors, and there is certainly a lot of beauty on the screen. That kitchen, especially with its bold red cabinets, made me wonder if such a space would be too loud to live in, but later I read that it was modeled on Almodóvar's own home. I also loved the little touch of the Cruz's character and her friends breaking in to a light song while washing their clothes in the river. Nothing "big" happens here, but in its quiet way, it reflects the director, and his pain and glory in life.

Almodovar is back to his best form.

[MOscarbradley · 10/10 · 31 August 2019]

With this gorgeous and unashamedly autobiographical memory piece, Pedro Almodóvar returns to his very best form and certainly gives us his best film in over a decade. "Pain and Glory" finds director Salvador Mallo, (Antonio Banderas in a career-best performance and clearly modelled on Almodóvar), looking back over his life and loves as he deals with his addictions, his chronic pain and a newfound appreciation of his work. It's a film that is both honest and deeply moving but one that is often very funny, too. Almodóvar wouldn't be who he is without that wicked sense of humour that made his early films so enjoyable but this is an altogether deeper and more profound film than anything he's done in years.

Cross-cutting between his childhood with a loving mother, (Penelope Cruz, wonderful), and a largely absent father and his present as he revisits his past in the form of the men in his life, the actor who once let him down and to whom he hasn't spoken in 30 years and the former lover who comes to visit. Salvador is a man determined to lay his ghosts to rest as I am sure Almodóvar wants to here. Banderas, as I said, has never been better and as the men in his life, Asier Etxeandia (the actor), Leonardo Sbaraglia, (the lover) and Cesar Vicente, (the boy who becomes Salvador's 'First Desire') are all outstanding while both Cruz and Julieta Serrano perfectly capture his mother at different stages in his life. This is a remarkable film from a great director too long absent from our screens and one we thought long past his best. This is proof he's home and hopefully, home for good.

More Pain than Glory

[andyge · 7/10 · 10 September 2019]

I used to look forward to every new Almodovar film but not so much for the last 10 years. He seems to have lost his way but this film at least sees him beginning to find a road back.This is semi autobiographical and it is entertaining to see what he has been up to during the last few years and to see Antonio Banderas playing effectively Almodovar himself. There are some very effective scenes especially those involving Penelope Cruz as his mother.... however the film is at least half an hour too long and lacks the eccentric and camp humour of his earlier classics.Still more pain than glory. Having said all that ANY Almodovar film is worth watching and he remains one of the great modern directors

The 8½ of our time, brought by a brilliant filmmaker.

[Floki_Thorfinn · 9/10 · 19 August 2019]

I. Short review:

Half autobiographic, half fiction, Almodóvar's most intimate work is an european drama carved with humor and intense emotions you wouldn't want to miss, Antonio Banderas is a tour de force.

II. Full review:

Since this year's Cannes Film Festival celebration in which Pain and Glory competed for the Palm d'Or for best picture and supposedly the favorite to win, I took quite interest in Almodóvar's new film, also my personal experiences with two of his films that I've seen, 'Talk to Her' (which I think is an absolute masterpiece), and the very creative thriller 'The Skin I Live In' (also starring Antonio Banderas), were strong factors of that interest.

The film tells the story of a depressed and aching director that reconnects with old friends and people he used to care about, at the time that he reflects on his humble but enlightning past in several ways, all from the perspective of his gloomy and lonesome present.

Pain and Glory escalates in a ladder of triumphs, since its mesmerizing soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), an astonishing cinematography by José Luis Alcaine, a masterful direction and gripping script by Pedro Almodóvar, to its top and greatest gift of all: a colossal performance by Antonio Banderas, which justifies his award for best actor in Cannes 2019.

Undramatic pain & glory

[catchuanbu · 7/10 · 4 February 2020]

It is a slow film, similar to life. I really enjoyed this movie, no one is clear what it is about until about and hour in. In simple terms is is film director who had lost his mojo because of the death of his mother and a back operations. He also begins to look back on his career and pivotal moments in his childhood. The flashback shots are perfectly and wonderfully capture the atmosphere of his young life while seamlessly interwoven with moments of present day.

Pain and glory is painful and glorious, as you'd except from a director who lives, suffers, enjoys and jogs his memory to find the small and grand moments of his human existence.

The acting of everyone was brilliant but limited so no Oscar here, Almodovar and Banderas are such a good match, the boy and the painter is such a delicate combination & the mother and the son in different moments of their lives, but mainly in the end, when they are both old. the dialogues are very meaningful, but movie as a whole had some profundity and was ravishingly shot as usual.

One of Almodovar's best

[birthdaynoodle · 8/10 · 10 April 2019]

Less bombastic than some of his previous work (which I also love, by the way), this bittersweet film shows the maturity of a director that's been around and seen it all, someone who's experienced both pain and glory and is asking himself what's next in life. In this partly autobiographical narrative, his most personal so far, Almodovar expresses some frustration with aging and with loneliness, but also his appreciation for the path that he's had the privilege to make for himself and continues to work on, and the people who are important to him. He succeeds in exploring nostalgia without succumbing to sappiness. If anything, Almodovar's senses and craft are sharper than ever. He's able to be critical and loving at the same time. I like how has evolved through the decades and that he keeps experimenting with different styles of storytelling. Antonio Banderas' award-worthy performance as the director's alter ego is understated, yet bold. Almodovar said in an interview that the choice was obvious, as Banderas is to him what Marcello Mastroianni was to Federico Fellini. And indeed there are some similarities between this film and '8 1/2': both films deal with the creative process. But whereas Fellini approaches the topic as a gladiator confronting obstacles with whip in hand, Almodovar is more low key and seems to point to tenderness as his weapon of choice.

Beautiful biography

[noahgibbobaker · 7/10 · 25 July 2020]

Pain and glory is a very personal and genuine film. It is a film is a biography about (the director) Pedro Almodóvar's life. I could feel that the director really cared and put a lot of heart into this project, that's always something I appreciate especially with the current sequel, re-make and Disney dominated state of film, there are just not enough original films being made. The story is partly told through flashbacks showing that what happens in your childhood can really shape how you act for the rest of your life, this is something I feel to many people overlook and is something I think about a lot. This film also explores other things that people discover when growing up and growing old like, drugs, relationships, death to name a few. As well as the story the technical side of this film is also great, the cinematography is great helped by the colourful set design and costumes. Antonio Banderas's performence is phenomenal and so is the direction, I think there was a very clear vision when making this film. However it have been trimmed down as it got a little bit repeatative during the middle of the film. The biggest problem though is that this film does not really work at all if you don't care about Pedro Almodóvar before watching Pain and glory, before you watch this film you should familiarise yourself with the director and his other work.

Overall Pain and glory is a great, unique biography about a director I like a lot, it is one of my favourites of 2019 and I recommend it to everyone who likes Pedro Almodóvar's other films.

Well performed but just far to slow with a less than enthralling subject matter

[muamba_eats_toast · 5/10 · 12 August 2019]

Yes the film was performed impeccably by all involved but it was extremely slow and often boring the 2nd half was more interesting and did get me more invested but just as it appeared to be going somewhere the film abruptly ended. 8/10 for the acting but 3/10 for entertainment value 5/10 overall.

Red is the colour of this film

[rubenm · 8/10 · 19 May 2019]

After having seen this film, I overheard the conversation of the couple next to me while the end credits rolled over the screen. 'So beautiful! And so much red!'. It was exactly what I was thinking. Red is the colour of this film. The scenes without anything red in it, are sparse. The abundance of the colour red proves how meticulously Pedro Almodovar has taken care of every small detail in this film. The result is a feast for the eyes. But the film is not only very stylish, it is also very emotional - as is often the case in Almodovar's work. The story is about a film director looking back on his work and his life, in which pain and glory each play a part. His life is miserable, his body is in pain and his career seems to be in decline. But when a film museum asks him to discuss a film he made 30 years ago, he learns to see things in a different perspective. He resolves a bitter conflict, meets a long lost former lover and reflects on the death of his mother. The themes are tied together by a clever script, with long flashbacks. It's interesting to know to what extend this story was inspired by Aldomovar's own life and career. When an acclaimed film maker makes a film about an acclaimed film maker, this is an inevitable question. The imaginary masterpiece from 30 years ago, with a poster showing a tongue sensually licking the lips, could very well have been one of Almodovar's own exuberant movies from his early period. Some typical Almodovar-themes are present in this film, like the mother-son relation, and the catholic faith. Also, the two leads, Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz, are present in the casts of several of his films. In every aspect, this is a quintessential Almodovar movie.

fascinating

[Kirpianuscus · 24 October 2019]

Just fascinating. Not as self- portrait of Almodovar, but as great trip across his themes and fears and art and life. All is great, from the music to the cinematography. And Antonio Banderas performance remains the most precious gift. So, a remarkable drama.

Almodovar and Banderas better than ever

[ferguson-6 · 9/10 · 17 October 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. This marks the 13th Pedro Almodovar movie I've seen over the last 33 years. There is no logical explanation for why I feel connected to his movies. It seems obvious I have very little in common with the provocative filmmaker from Spain who won an Oscar for his extraordinary 2002 film HABLA CON ELLA (TALK TO HER). Yet, his movies invariably strike an emotional chord with me - and none more so than his latest.

As with many of his previous films (and more than most), this one has a strong semi-autobiographical feel to it. Antonio Banderas stars as aging filmmaker Salvador Mallo. No other actor could have been cast in the role. This is, by my count, the eighth collaboration between actor and director ... no actor has a better feel for Almodovar over the past three decades. It must be noted that Banderas does not stoop to impersonation or mimicry. OK, he has similar spiked hair, beard, fancy clothes and a museum-quality house ... but the performance is all Banderas, and it's a thing of beauty. Salvador is an aged man who looks defeated despite numerous career achievements. His physical pains are many - chronic back pain, migraines, sporadic choking - but it's his emotional isolation and solitude that stands out. Salvador is a lonely man with signs of depression.

The film bounces between two time periods: Salvador as an older man with the above listed struggles, and young Salvador (Asier Flores) growing up in poverty with his mother Jacinta (Penelope Cruz) and dreaming of a better life. The elder Salvador is reflecting on the life journey that brought him to this point, while the younger Salvador is filled with youthful hope for the future, even as his core being is taking shape.

Cinemateque has remastered Salvador's first big movie "Sabor" and have invited him to attend the screening and participate in the Q&A. He sees this as a chance to re-connect with the film's star (and his long ago friend) Alberto Crespo (played by Asier Etxeandia). The two haven't spoken in over 30 years due to bad blood and artistic differences during the filming of "Sabor". Now understanding Alberto's approach to the role, Salvador is told by an actress that 'the movie hasn't changed, but the eyes you see it through have'. Salvador visits Alberto and soon the actor is sharing his heroin stash with his director. Salvador continues "chasing the dragon" as a form of relief from his physical pain, and as an escape from his solitude. It seems to work much better than his cocktail of prescription drugs.

Rather than a film of drug addiction, this is a film of reflection. Fellini's 81/2 (1963) is surely the most famous and iconic of the autobiographical films by a director, and though Fellini may have the advantage of esoteric artistry, Almodovar's signature style is ever-present through primary colors (especially red) and memorable sets. Deserving of special mention are frequent Almodovar collaborators Antxion Gomez (Production Design), Maria Clara Notari (Art Direction), Paola Torres (Costume Design), and cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine. The music is provided by 3-time Oscar nominee Alberto Iglesias.

There are some intimate and touching scenes in the film, as well as a couple of lines of dialogue that hit pretty hard. Circumstances are such that Salvador reunites with Federico (Leonardo Sbaraglia), the love of his life. It's a tender reunion that lasts only a short time, but allows for needed closure for both men. There is also a sequence where Salvador is having a heartfelt and intimate conversation with his elderly mother (Julieta Serrano). She tells him he was not a good son. This conversation between adult son and mother is an example of things that should be said, but rarely are. Ms. Serrano previously played Mr. Banderas' mother in WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN and MATADOR.

Almodovar's movie premiered at Cannes, and it examines our expectations for life and how they contrast to our later recollections. The two timelines show one looking forward as the stage is set, and the other looking back at both the good times and bad. For an artist, it's the life that molds their influences for their art/craft. Salvador's memories even play like short movies. There may be no real plot to the film, and instead it focuses on reflection, introspection and perspective. "Love can't cure the ones we love" is a gut-punch of a line, and one that can't be comprehended until late in life. For an Almodovar film, this one is restrained and tempered - even tender at times. And yet despite this, it will stick with me for awhile.

Flawed story arc

[PipAndSqueak · 6/10 · 29 August 2019]

Sadly, Almodovar fails to convince in this colourful depiction of a version of his own life. He knows his own story. We know some of his story. We know who he has worked with. We know, and can guess what things interest him. However, in this venture he has forgotten that there is an audience who wants to be drawn into a story, to be entertained, to be mesmerized into embodying a character that appeals etc. We learn too late in this film that the scenes depicting the film director's ( the character Salvador Mallo), early life as a child with Cruz playing his idealized mother are, in fact, the filmed within film sequences showing the output of the aforementioned Mallo. The clunky dialogue and slightly off scripting may have been intended to demonstrate Mallo's declining skills but, they instead convey poor story development by Almodovar. Whilst portraying elements of his own childhood and the icons and memories important to himself (Almodovar), he puts the filmic point of view inside the non-feeling camera. This is an error. The camera has an operator, after all, and the film a director and an editor. We see none of these performing their functions relative to the scenes of filming incorporated into the whole. Other than for Almodovar fans and film buffs determined to winkle out fine details, a casual viewer will come from watching this completely nonplussed as to what they have just seen.

An Exceedingly Beautiful Character Study Of A Tortured Soul With Often Insightful Subtle Commentary On The Complexity Of Life

[dommercaldi · 9/10 · 24 July 2020]

Pros: 1. The bare-bone cinematography produces some stunning shots as well as creating a feeling of unlimited space. 2. Both Antonio Banderas (Salvador Mallo) and Asier Etxeandia (Alberto Crespo) deliver outstanding performances. 3. The costume design is great and adds a lot of vibrancy to the film which helps to mirror the life of Salvador Mallo. 4. The score is beautiful, in addition, it encapsulates every emotion intended by the director (Pedro Almodóvar) for the audience to feel. 5. The film feels incredibly tender, personal, and emotion oozes out of every line of dialogue. It's clear that a lot of time and effort went into crafting this movie. 6. The flashback scenes are inserted effortlessly, thus leaving the film to be crystal clear, despite its' mostly non-linear storytelling. 7. The comedy is dry and witty, implemented appropriately, and it always garners a laugh. 8. The ending, after the emotional roller-coaster that the movie takes you on, leaves you with a gigantic smile, as well as concluding the story of Salvador Mallo succinctly. 9. The film beautifully captures both the "pain and glory" of life, and how they often intertwine to influence and cause one-another.

Cons: 1. A couple of the scenes drag on for too long.

Slow but interesting

[apararas · 6/10 · 18 November 2019]

I have seen several films of the director.Now about this one it's the slowest and I caught myself yawning sometimes.However Banderas gives a fine performance as well Cruz.Watch it once.

Hermosa y personal

[MarcosHuedo · 10/10 · 1 April 2019]

Es una historia tan profunda y tan cercana al autor que es imposible no emocionarte.

Pedro's cave

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 March 2020]

Filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar jumps back and forth in time to examine the life of his protagonist. In modern day, Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) is a celebrated filmmaker whose best works are decades old, and is living with drug addiction and medical issues. As a child, he has his loving mother Jacinta (Penélope Cruz). They move into a cave home where he teaches beautiful illiterate bricklayer Eduardo how to read.

It's territories that Pedro had traveled over the years. It's a little flat for the first part. Quite frankly, it's only when the kid is with the bricklayer that I had the first chuckle. That seems to be the most compelling part of the story. The movie should be more about the childhood Pedro and give more time with Eduardo. His mother should be given more. The adult Pedro can be cut back. There are some fascinating scenes. The story is average semi-autobiographical. It feels familiar and offers little new. Pedro's fans should appreciate this work.

Another masterpiece by Almodovar

[allleksandra · 10/10 · 19 December 2019]

Very intimate story about passion, love, depression and hope.

A happy child. A tormented adult.

[FrenchEddieFelson · 6/10 · 19 May 2019]

We discover an Imaginary Invalid (Molière, 1673) who is afraid of growing old and who renews contact, more or less deftly, with former acquaintances for an undisclosed purpose, either in a process of redemption or in order to fill the void of his existence. I truly loved the introductory scene with the four women washing clothes at the edge of a river, and the scenes in which Salvador Mallo is a child, with Penélope Cruz as his mother. These scenes are tenderly contemplative. Otherwise, the movie drags on excessively. Although I'm usually fond of biographies, with a certain eclecticism, on people such as Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill, Nicolaus Copernicus, Mahatma Gandhi, Alan Turing, Napoléon Bonaparte, Christopher Columbus or even Elton John, what is the point, if I may, of a biography about Pedro Almodovar? In my humble opinion, this cinematographic autobiography, while moving and successful, might be summed up to an egocentric work about a sad and lonely man, with an insignificant embarrassment of riches, and is then probably reserved for the regular fans of Pedro Almodovar.

Not my cup of tea to be quite honest.

[IvanReviewsIMDb · 5/10 · 16 December 2019]

I mean, this was a well-acted film with interesting production design and score, the cinematography was pretty good, but the story was kinda lazily written, it lacked depth the movie desperately wanted to have and aside from few chunks of the film - I didn't care at all about any of the characters.

The ending was interesting, but I don't think that this kind of ending would change my perspective on this movie on my second watch, so I am definitely not seeing this movie anytime soon.

It will probably do well at the Oscars tho...

the next (previous) chapter

[RResende · 2 April 2019]

It was not planned but i watched 8 1/2 again just about a week ago. I like self-reference, i like layers, i love it when those layers mean something. Usually that meaning comes through auto-biographical self-reflexion.

Almodóvar is now entering that stage when he no longer seeks inspiration, but simply uses his life, and uses it as cinema. Memory and life as the layers for the film. I suppose you can come to this film, it being your very first Almodóvar, and take something from it. But if you know where he comes from, it all makes so much sense. I don't mean the biographical facts, those are obvious and pretty easy to read, even if you don't know anything about him. I mean the cinematic journey, of which this is yet another chapter.

So again we have the unfolding of a story, in the context of other stories. In the journey we get many sorts of self-reflective devices to pull us into the thing:

We begin without a story. The director has no desire, can't write, falls into drug abuse and replaces his lust for life and film for his lust for drugs. He cannot direct, he cannot write. The actor who was a part of an old film (and himself once burnt out by drugs) now performs a monologue anonymously and previously written by the director. That performance and inadvertently allows an old lover (about whose relation the monolog was about) to find him, and that fleeting meeting puts a final chapter to that story. The director finds the will to through drugs away, as his desire is renewed, and he has the strength to revisit his life, and write about it. We visit his past, his love for his mother, his (unexisting) relation to his father, his youth sexual desires and urges. In a somewhat mechanical but apt ending, the fourth wall is broken, and we find out that the memories we visited were literally the film the director wrote after he left drugs. I wish that after we saw the sound girl and the illusion broke, that someone would call Penélope by her name, and the director was no longer Banderas, but Almodóvar himself. But i can imagine that would be crossing some lines he wasn't ready to cross.

This film is a meaningful journey to a valuable soul. I think you should watch it.