Almodovar and Cruz deliver another classic
Lauren M. Berrill
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Arts
Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz are undoubtedly one of the best actor/director teams in Hollywood history since Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton or Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando. In Almodovar's latest release, Los abrazos rotos, or Broken Embraces, the duo has struck gold yet again. This is their fourth feature film together, after the critically acclaimed Volver, All About My Mother and Live Flesh.
The film Broken Embraces tells the story of Harry Cain's 14-year struggle to cope with the death of his lover, Lena, played by Cruz. Lluis Homar's Harry is a writer and washed up director, who was blinded in a car accident many years earlier. Tragically, the love of his life Lena was killed in the same accident.
His life as presented in the film is the result of willed forgetting and painstaking denial. The events of his past contain secrets he has been managing to avoid confronting for many years. Throughout the film, however, circumstances serve to reveal Harry's painful memories. As such, he is motivated to tell the heartbreaking story of the man he used to be.
In most of Almodovar's films, his characters are subject to intense longing, confusion and sadness. This film is no exception. Its essence is truly beautiful and the various pieces come together as one cohesive, must-see story.
Cruz and Homar both deliver, breathing life into their hauntingly tragic characters. This film is a classic for Almodóvar lovers and cinema fans looking for a well-crafted, well-acted feature.
Fans of Volver, Blue Velvet and The Usual Suspects are likely to enjoy this intense yet eerily beautiful drama, now playing at the Pleasant Street Theatre. For show times, visit amherstcinema.org. The film runs 2 hours and 8 minutes and is rated R.
The film Broken Embraces tells the story of Harry Cain's 14-year struggle to cope with the death of his lover, Lena, played by Cruz. Lluis Homar's Harry is a writer and washed up director, who was blinded in a car accident many years earlier. Tragically, the love of his life Lena was killed in the same accident.
His life as presented in the film is the result of willed forgetting and painstaking denial. The events of his past contain secrets he has been managing to avoid confronting for many years. Throughout the film, however, circumstances serve to reveal Harry's painful memories. As such, he is motivated to tell the heartbreaking story of the man he used to be.
In most of Almodovar's films, his characters are subject to intense longing, confusion and sadness. This film is no exception. Its essence is truly beautiful and the various pieces come together as one cohesive, must-see story.
Cruz and Homar both deliver, breathing life into their hauntingly tragic characters. This film is a classic for Almodóvar lovers and cinema fans looking for a well-crafted, well-acted feature.
Fans of Volver, Blue Velvet and The Usual Suspects are likely to enjoy this intense yet eerily beautiful drama, now playing at the Pleasant Street Theatre. For show times, visit amherstcinema.org. The film runs 2 hours and 8 minutes and is rated R.
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