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02 Mar, 2013
a vivid demonstration of how the recent past is becoming history
This is part of a very worthwhile series, and among the mroe outstanding volumes. It amounts to a survey of the new furniture, lighting and other home accoutrements that stood out at the shows in Millenium year. Now that we're well into the twenty-first century, it's already in many respects "historic", and a measure of how things have moved. Notably in lighting, where the technological advances in LED have moved us forward a lot.
07 Nov, 2009
more promise than delivery
This is a film people disagree over. It was heralded as a new direction for Almodovar, with the focus on Penelope Cruz and a (more or less) all-female cast. The entire cast was awarded the Cannes prize for best actresses. On the other hand, it can be said it's Almodovar's most disappointing film to date, that he's relied on the performances to carry a very clunky plot, which is not enhanced by quoting from his earlier films (such as "What Have I done to Deserve This?") or quoting from old Hollywood ("Mildred Pierce", for example).
I found it boring compared to the two films he'd made before it, "Talk to Her" and "Bad Education". But I reckon risk-taking is worthwhile in a director of his calibre, even when the outcome is not the best. And maybe there are people out there who'll watch it again and again for pleasure? But I feel I'm only likely to watch it again when he's got back on top form, and then only to try and puzzle out whether this film was a constructive move on a new way, or just a time-wasting sideline.
14 Sep, 2011
Almodover at his very best.
0 of 1 found this helpful He's made many good films, of which two are really great, and this is one of them. The other, The Law of Desire, is early, edgy, and has proved a seed-bed for much that's excellent in films that were to come - it's even semi-quoted from in his very latest, The Skin that I live in.
What makes Talk to Her so special and so attractive is its scope, and confidence. The situation is unusual, exceptional - two young women each in a coma from which no recovery is likely, two men attempting to communicate to them support and affection. One of the women is a would-be ballerina, the other a female bull-fighter. One of the men is a kindly but simple nurse, the other a journalist who carries his own confusions and disappointments. Their separate stories are interesting, but what makes the film great are the cross-overs between their stories, cross-overs full of feeling, emotion and unexpected cross-connection.
The performances are outstanding, the level of affection that emerges is unusual and very winning. The cinematography is breath-taking in sheer loveliness. The Pina Bausch ballets, the Caetano Veloso song and the very funny silent movie are wonderful punctuation points help draw the strands together even more.
The final sequences between Benigno and Marco are pure heart-break.
it's no surprise this film won the popular vote across Europe for film of the year, and one Oscar seems hardly enough.
Not all of Almodovar works to its full effect on the small screen, but this one does, and the dvd transfer is excellent. It's one to watch over and over again, for sure.