Douleur et gloire

As Salvador (exquisitely played by Antonio Banderas) says in the movie "A great actor is not the one who cries, but the one who knows how to contain the tears" and I think that describes the movie perfectly, you feel the pain in every scene but never get the chance to let that emotion overcome, it's a beautiful and raw portrayal of life in a way we've never seen Almodóvar do before, the film breathes a diaphanous simplicity and spontaneity, far from what we're used to see from the filmmaker. Every aspect of this movie felt very personal and intimate, almost like reading someone's diary while it's being written or someone sharing a part of their soul, i'm sure this movie wasn't easy to make.

This is a story about pain, sadness, solitude, self discovery, forgiveness and regret but most of all, it's a movie about overcoming and I honestly feel this is one of his best works in recent years.

We are what we are, because of choices we made and people we met. Our past defines who we are today. Can we change if we think we go a direction that isn't a "good" one? Maybe we can - but that is not the major revelation or plot that you get served here.

Here you get a director, who seems to have lost his ... muse and sense and so many other things. Not his will to live of course ... no matter what he does or what he puts in his body, nothing implicates he has lost that will. Quite the opposite can be seen (subtly I'd say) in an interaction he has while buying drugs at a know place apparently.

He has regrets, he has sorrows and he still has a lot of things in him that want to get out (one way or another). Played fantastically by Antonio Banderas - you almost forget how he is in real life, so mellow, so convincing is his performance! Well done and another collaboration with Almodovar and him that shows they are a great pairing. Certain things may offend you no matter the rating - drug use, homosexuality and so forth. But those are part of life ... maybe not yours or mine ... but they are there - they exist. For this character more than for others.

It is a slow film, similar to life. I really enjoyed this movie, no one is clear what it is about until about and hour in. In simple terms is is film director who had lost his mojo because of the death of his mother and a back operations. He also begins to look back on his career and pivotal moments in his childhood. The flashback shots are perfectly and wonderfully capture the atmosphere of his young life while seamlessly interwoven with moments of present day.

Pain and glory is painful and glorious, as you'd except from a director who lives, suffers, enjoys and jogs his memory to find the small and grand moments of his human existence.

The acting of everyone was brilliant but limited so no Oscar here, Almodovar and Banderas are such a good match, the boy and the painter is such a delicate combination & the mother and the son in different moments of their lives, but mainly in the end, when they are both old. the dialogues are very meaningful, but movie as a whole had some profundity and was ravishingly shot as usual.

It deals with an aging director called Salvador Mallo in the twilight if his long career : Antonio Banderas/Pedro Almodovar , suffering chronical illness . The mature Salvador has seeen better days and he self-medicates between his continuous depression . Along the way , he reminds his mother : Penelope Cruz , his absent father : Raúl Arevalo , his sweet childhood in a village , his first crush on an adolescent , their home at a cave , the search for cinematic hits and happiness and several others incidents .

Typical Almodovar film with biographic remarks concerning a filmmaker , Almodovar alter-ego, who suffers ordinary pain and a mental blockade who impedes to write and shot movies . These incoveniences reflect on his life , as he reminds his past life , loves , shooting and finds old friends and a previous lover . At last , he has a reborn , and a creative salvation outbursts in the way of a self-biographic storyline . The plot happens between these two subplots , his childhood along with his mom : Peneope Cruz/Julieta Serrano and the longest : adulthood period in which Banderas/Almodovar has relations with other roles as Nora Navas playing his friend/helper , the stage actor played Asier Etxeandia , an ex-lover performed by Leonardo Sbaraglia , and a doctor interpreted by Pedro Casablanc. The magnificent cast give very good interpretations , Antonio Banderas is sensational imitating gestures , grimace and visage of Pedro Almodovar himself. And other actors as Etxeandia , Julieta Serrano as the aging mother , Cecilia Roth, Susi Sanchez , Cesar Vicente , Julian López , all of them deliver nice acting . And brief appearance by the great musical star Rosalía. Special mention for the colorful and evocative cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine, Almodovar's regular . Being filmed on location in Paterna, Valencia, Aranjuez and Madrid . It contains adequate but sad musical score by Alberto Iglesias who has composed several soundtracks in Almodovar films . And , of course , adding Chavela Vargas' songs .

The motion picture was well directed by Pedro Almodovar in his usual style , being produced by his brother Agustín who appears in a cameo, as usual, and financed by their Production Company " El Deseo" . Being nominated for 2 Acaddemy Awards , another 68 wins and 161 nominations . This new Almodovar realization got success enough at boxoffice . Almodovar is deemed to be one of the best Spanish filmmakers. He has got a lot of hits with his dramas , such as : " Talk to her" , "Volver" , "The Flower of my Secret", "The Sin I live in" , "Abrazos Rotos" , "Carne Trémula" , "Tacones Lejanos", "Matador" , "Que he hecho para merecer esto" . But Almodovar also has made comedies as " Women on the Edge of Breakdown", "Kika" , "I am so excited" and "Pepi, Lucía and Boom" , among others . Rating 6.5/ 10. The picture will appeal to Pedro Almodovar enthusiasts .

The story about the artistic crisis and depression. Once the noise of the glory goes away, there's nothing but emptiness and pain inside. Almodóvar has created this autobiographical masterpiece during his darkest and the most lonely moments in his life. It's different from everything that the genius had shared with the world before. Feeling of loneliness and pain in every scene, that makes a glory so unimportant and empty, when you have no one to share it with. The director made the audience hold the breath while he was speaking and sharing his most intimate secrets, his memories and regrets about the past.

Endless respect for Almodóvar for making this autobiographical movie so personal and sincere.