Julieta

Life in itself often isn't fair to most people. Sure, there can be periods of good fortune but those are usually achieved by sheer coincidence. What's more likely to happen are moments of self-awakening, knowing that your existence won't go off without a hitch.

Pedro Almodóvar's Julieta in particular follows this belief. The titular character (Emma Suárez) is haunted by her past actions, wanting to understand why her daughter abandoned her all those years ago. To do so, she needs to delve into key moments she endured when she was younger. Will Julieta find the answers she's looking for?

As Almodóvar has shown before, he's compelled by complicated women of a certain age. (If only Hollywood felt the same.) He doesn't deny that we're a flawed species, how our emotions tend to get the better of us. And more often than not, those emotions are brought on by what life throws at us.

It isn't much of a surprise that Almodóvar had Suárez and Adriana Ugarte (who plays a younger Julieta) read Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking to better understand the story of Julieta. (He also had Suárez watch Elevator to the Gallows and The Hours for preparation.) It's those works that can best capture how women in difficult circumstances behave, be it for better or for worse in the long run. (As Frank Sinatra once sang, that's life.)

Julieta continues to prove that Almodóvar is the Douglas Sirk of the new century. The matter of melodrama can be rather fickle in general, and only a few properly capture its essence. And as the Spanish-born director has proven since his debut in 1980, he is one of those select few.

My Rating: ****

Bad Education

Lies, temptation and betrayal. These are the three things that make for any film noir. Then again, they could also be applied to any good drama. (Seriously, go watch Gone Girl if you don't think that's true.)

Pedro Almodovar often uses those elements for his films but none more so than Bad Education. A throwback to the noirs of days past, the film shows how even if you know someone, you don't really know them.

Like many of Almodovar's films, Bad Education features the occasional throwaway line that becomes crucial later on in the film. And with this being a tribute to film noirs, this Almodovar trademark becomes all the more relevant. It's a small detail, perhaps, but it's one worth mentioning.

And also like Almodovar's other work, Bad Education focuses on the powers of sex and cinema, To some, they're just casual hobbies. But to the characters of Bad Education, they have a form of healing. Strange forms of solace, perhaps, but they can work well to the right people.

Bad Education is definitely one of those films where the main theme is looks can be deceiving. Everyone wears a mask to those around them. It's only a matter of time before those masks begin to slip off.

My Rating: *****

The Skin I Live In

At some point in a director's career, they have to do a film outside of their comfort zone. For example, a director famed for his blood-soaked crime dramas does something more family friendly. (Likewise, a director known for lighter fare goes down a darker route.) It's bound to happen at some point.

Pedro Almodovar has a career peppered with brightly colored melodramas about women and the people they encounter. Granted, a majority of them have dark themes but either way, they end on a positive (albeit bittersweet) note. It would only be a matter of time before he went down a much more darker road.

He did that in the form of The Skin I Live In. It's as far from the multi-colored romps he's associated with as possible. (It still revolves around a woman though.) And like his earlier films, Almodovar isn't afraid to be daring.

Now the influences for this film are clear if you've seen said influences. The main one is Georges Franju's Eyes Without a Face, obvious since both films focus on a surgeon performing disturbing surgeries for his own personal gain. The other is Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, also obvious since the woman is told to have a uncanny resemblance to the surgeon's dead wife.

Long story short, The Skin I Live In is a brilliant film. It's one of those films that'll stick in your mind once it's over. (The provocative nature of it practically ensures that.) If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you do.

My Rating: *****

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

I admire directors who provide homages in their work. It doesn't have to be a huge, flashy reference. Just something that might make the viewer happy.

Pedro Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is reminiscent of the comedies from Hollywood's Golden Age. I mean, what other kind of film is there where you can find an odd menagerie of characters under one roof? Only in a screwball comedy.

One thing I realized was that some aspects of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown were also used for the film within a film in Broken Embraces, a later film of Almodovar's. It's just a simple call back like that which makes me admire directors like Almodovar. Any director who can self-reference is one I'm bound to like.

It's interesting to see Almodovar doing straight-up comedy. I'm mainly familiar with his melodramas (though I use that term loosely), so seeing him tackle something much lighter is somewhat of a shock. Still, many of his noted trademarks are present throughout so I was content.

I feel that a film like Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown couldn't be made today mainly because it takes talent to be able to balance out the pure chaos within the story. Of course Almodovar knew what he was doing back in 1988 (and still does today), so that's why I enjoyed the film so much. (I'm a sucker for a good film. Is that so much to ask for?)

My Rating: *****

Volver

Naturally it takes several films of a director's filmography to get interested in their work. There are also those very few times where I get hooked on a director before meeting the requirement of watching five films.

Pedro Almodovar is one of those few exceptions. I was transfixed by Talk to Her, absolutely won over by All About My Mother and enchanted by Broken Embraces. I pretty much knew I had a new director to watch.

Seeing Volver pretty much sealed the deal. Like All About My Mother, the film revolves around a small group of women. The way some of the characters' lives are written, they sound like they're straight out of a cheesy melodrama. But Almodovar knows how not to steep to that level.

Penelope Cruz, who is dubbed Almodovar's muse, is great here. In films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, she's viewed as a Spanish sexpot. In the films she does for Almodovar, she shows her abilities as an actress. And boy, does she nail her role in Volver.

Volver is a wonderfully written drama that you don't find often enough. (Thank you, God, for creating Almodovar.) The main actresses, Cruz especially, make these roles their own. And Pedro? You have a new admirer of your work.

My Rating: *****

Broken Embraces

I'm bound to like any film as long as the characters are presented in a very compelling manner. (That explains many of the positive reviews here.) I just always like that.

I'm mostly drawn to directors who can do such a thing. One of them is Pedro Almodovar. Judging from what I've seen in Talk to Her and All About My Mother, I knew he could do such a task. (Not bad considering he's still a new name to me.)

His film Broken Embraces continues to display what Almodovar does best: capturing a menagerie of characters in one film, all of them not feeling a note out of place. I think the only other director that could do that was Robert Altman.

The film is a potent mix of love, obsession and, most importantly, cinema. (Seriously, is there a better combination than that?) Many directors try to grasp such a mixture, but I think Almodovar does it best. (Okay, maybe Bertolucci with The Dreamers as well.)

Still, I just love the way Almodovar's style oozes out of every frame. It's a feat that keeps people coming back for more, and I'm one such person. Pedro, you have yet to disappoint me. Keep up the good work.

My Rating: *****

All About My Mother

Earlier this year, I was introduced to the world of Pedro Almodovar in the form of Talk to Her. Since then, I've been trying to find the next ideal film of his to watch.

I opted for All About My Mother, the film that earned Almodovar the Foreign Language Film Oscar. (On a similar note, Talk to Her nabbed him a Best Original Screenplay Oscar.) Curious from the acclaim it received, I hoped it would deliver. It did.

Much like Talk to Her, All About My Mother hits in the right places emotionally. Sure, the tale of a woman trying to recover after the sudden death of her son may sound soppy to some, but Almodovar makes sure to add small bursts of humor to soften the blows. (It's very much needed, trust me.)

There have been many comparisons towards All About My Mother, ranging from the styles of other acclaimed directors to famous films. Indeed parallels between this and A Streetcar Named Desire are uncanny, but I would like to view it as a film of its own. But that's just me being, well, me.

Long story short, I loved All About My Mother. I'm now very, very tempted to delve into his other work, though I fear I won't love them as much as Talk to Her or All About My Mother. But who knows? One does not simply second guess.

My Rating: *****

Talk to Her

What is it about foreign films that has them capturing emotions and feelings better than American films? It's something that makes them stand out.

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: *****