I was familiar with Pedro Almodovar's work, but hadn't seen any of it. At least until the mesmerizing Talk to Her entered my life. I really had no idea what I was in for.
What I got was a very hypnotic tale of love and obsession. Not many films can cover topics like that with ease. The only two I know of are Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Johnathan Glazer's Birth.
Like Hitchcock before him (and Glazer later on), Almodovar shows how love and obsession actually go hand in hand. One doesn't just fall in love; there are many different aspects to being in love. It isn't just the heart involved but also the mind.
Talk to Her is one of the best foreign films ever made. It's as spellbinding as it is heartbreaking. It never lands on a false note at any point. As of now, I have a preconceived notion that seeking Almodovar is in my future.
My Rating: *****
Though a lot of good things are being said about The Skin I Live In (which I haven't seen), Talk to Her would have to be my favorite Almodovar. He's an amazing director. Definitely watch All About My Mother next, that's a brilliant film.
ReplyDeleteAlmodovar has a knack of making me uncomfortable. Most of his work does, but Talk To Her makes me most uncomfortable. Though I love most of what I have seen, for some reason, I can not get over it.
ReplyDeletealmodovar is such an unapologetically odd director, and i love him for it so much. this is a great introduction to his work! he's got so many other wonderful films!
ReplyDeleteGod I love this film, it's so beautiful while being equally haunting in that perfect Almodovar way. I do consider The Skin I Live In to be his best work, but this is a very close second.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your question about foreign films capturing emotions and feelings better, I think it's because foreign directors are more concentrated on story and character development, not on how big this explosion can be, or how shocking that twist ending can be. The majority of the foreign films I see are in love with the faces of their actors. American directors think that if it isn't said, the message isn't received, which is nonsense. Emotional expression can be as, if not more, revealing than any line of dialogue.
I'm of course generalizing here, but I think all that stuff plays a part.
Also try the Almodovar movies Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Tie Me Up Tie Me Down, and All About My Mother.
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