Director #3: Pedro Almodóvar

[Cena's Little Helper]

Pedro Almodóvar​

Showcase Description
Since the 1980s, there have only been a few foreign directors who have managed to make a name for themselves in the English-speaking world without the help of Hollywood suits. The Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar and the Chinese director Wong Kar-wai are probably the most significant of these filmmakers (yeah, I know you won an Oscar, Ang Lee; it's too bad that the majority of your films have been American productions). Although openly gay, no other director possesses such keen insight into the emotional needs and romantic dreams of both straight men and women (Almodóvar probably knows women better than they know themselves). When it comes to the way us ordinary folk experience sexual and familial relationships, no director currently documents it better than the Spaniard with the wild hair.

Selected Filmography
Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls on the Heap (1980)
Matador (1986)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1992)
Kika (1993)
Live Flesh (1997)
All About My Mother (1999)
Talk To Her (2002)
Bad Education (2004)
Volver (2006)
Broken Embraces (2009)


Showcase Outline
I. The Masterpiece: Talk To Her
II. This Guy Is Good I: All About My Mother
III. This Guy Is Good II: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
IV. Nothing To Write Home About: Volver
​

 

[Loveless]

Really don't like Almodovar. Everything I've seen from him involves bullfighting or rape and I found Talk To Her particularly offensive for the position he takes. The guy seems have something against women.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Showcase Outline
I. The Masterpiece: Talk To Her
II. This Guy Is Good I: All About My Mother
III. This Guy Is Good II: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
IV. Nothing To Write Home about: Volver

I've seen all of those! Well, except for number three. I'll get round to it, honest.

I don't think he really adopts any position in Talk To Her. He just takes pity on the guy that has to rape girls in comas in order to get laid. You could say that I missed the point of the film. It's a sad film. Then again, most his films are.

I also don't see what was wrong with Volver. Sure, it was nothing to write home about... oh right, yeah. I thought it was fairly decent though. Didn't really leave any lasting impression though.

All About My Mother was pretty good. People say that's Penelope Cruz's best ever performance. Well, Total Film did. I honestly don't care.