Broken Embraces [Los Abrazos Rotos] (***)

Broken Embraces [Los Abrazos Rotos] (***)

Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar

Starring: Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez, Rubén Ochandiano, Tamar Novas

Seen: 23rd June 2010

*** Out of ****

Set in two timeframes, Broken Embraces tells the story of a complicated scheme of affairs and relationships. The movie is anchored in 2008, with the characters telling stories about, or remembering the early 90’s. Harry Caine (Homar) is a blind writer regaling Diego (Novas), the son of his agent, Judit (Portillo) with the story of his life – most notably the big one about why he recognises the name of a Spanish millionaire, Ernesto Martel (Gómez) who recently died when it is reported on in the newspapers. Harry used to be the well respected film director Mateo Blanco, but after the event that left him blind he decided on a different name, feeling that without his sight, he can’t call himself by his own name anymore, not in his industry. Harry is also harassed by Martel’s son, Ernesto Jr. (Ochandiano), who wants to make a film about his life story. The story is too personal for Harry though, and he shuns Ernesto Jr., or Ray X, as he now calls himself.

We first meet Lena (Cruz) in the movie’s very first flashback, in 1992. She is Martel’s attractive secretary, and when her father receives bad treatment, she turns to Martel, who is obsessed by Lena. Two years later, in 1994, she is Martel’s not-so-secret mistress, but she is getting bored by the drudgery of effectively being a housewife to Martel. She wants to work, and goes for acting, where she is cast in Blanco’s new movie, Chicas y Maletas (Girls and Suitcases). This is where things start going awry, as Blanco and Lena get involved, while Martel appoints himself the producer of the movie and has his son shoot a “documentary” of the filming to snoop on Lena. The affair(s) pile up and the tension builds as the story moves to its conclusion.

Penélope Cruz has proven that she is more than just a pretty face in just about all her Spanish movies (for me, most notably in Volver) as well as her American movies (Blow, Vanilla Sky, and Vicky Christina Barcelona), and here she does nothing different. She sets the screen alight with her energy, be it in an uplifting or emotionally draining scene. Lluís Homar does great work as Mateo Blanc/Harry Caine, as the viewer truly experiences his life with him. Tamar Novas is impressive as Harry Caine’s young apprentice who suffers a drug overdose but pulls through, while Rubén Ochandiano is suitably creepy/secretive as Ernesto Jr. and Ray X respectively. Almodóvar shot the film in the style of the cynical American noir, or neo-noir, but with a rather respectable difference; where the American noir film tends to be dark and brooding, Broken Embraces is very vibrant and colourful, with the atmosphere only muted by the darker undertones of the story.

Broken Embraces will definitely not fall in everyone’s taste, but if you’re a fan of European cinema and Almodóvar’s previous films (Volver, Bad Education, Talk to Her, to name but a few), this one should please your cinematic sensibilities. Almodóvar delivers what he usually does, and the reality of the fact is that his movies feel weightier than American movies because they are not as vacuous. Broken Embraces has a few weaknesses, it’s slow pace makes it feel slightly longer than it is, but is an intriguing story for those with the patience to see a story unfold in an unforced manner.