All About My Mother

Pros: Moving and offbeat
Cons: Some parts will be seen as either odd or offensive

(Author's note: This is a repost of a review I originally wrote in 2000. It was long overdue for an update and expansion.) Motherhood manifests itself in many ways, according to writer-director Pedro Almodovar in his 1999 Oscar-winning foreign ...

Pros: There's a pretty good reason for Manuela to be so dull.
Cons: She's still dull.

The way I see it--and I'm very probably wrong--none of us would be surprised to see things working out along these lines: A) man cheats on girlfriend with future wife; B) man marries, but continues to sleep with girlfriend; C) man is out of town on a...

Pros: Performances, the story, music, and the entire film
Cons: The tragedy WHAMS that make you want to strangle the director.

This is my second entry, in the “manly “ write-off, hosted by Hawgwyld (htt ...

Pros: Ironic thoughts on many levels.
Cons: Slow - have to read subtitles unless you learn some Spanish.

I first saw All About My Mother a few years back – which is quite surprising since if I remember correctly I first inadequately labeled it as a “chick flick”…and I normally avoid those movies unless I’m in the mood to tear apart a film – or...

Pros: Almodovar's Script/Direction, Themes, Look, Locations, Music, Editing, & Cast.
Cons: Nada.

Considered to be Spain's most celebrated director after the late Luis Bunuel, Pedro Almodovar is among one of cinema's most revered and controversial directors. Early films like Matador and La Ley del Deseo (Laws of Desire) reveals ...

Pros: Beautiful cinematography, strong acting by Cecelia Roth and a nice dose of Bette Davis
Cons: The detached, improvisational tone holds viewers at arm's length

Let’s get one thing straight. I love chick flicks. I’ll take Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts over a bare-knuckled, Dolby-explosion, testosterone-octaned Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster any day. I’ve just got this thing for chicks, see.
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Pros: The actresses, interesting twist on subject matter for melodramas.
Cons: Possibly not for the prudish or conservative-minded.

I haven’t seen a lot of Pedro Almodovar’s films, but from the stuff I’ve been hearing the last few ...

Pros: Unconventional characters, great performances, excellent cinematography, and strong script
Cons: Three solid themes but another that is too facile and simplistic

There’s a whole lot to like about this film. It’s got a superlative cast playing interesting and varied characters. There’s a splendid balance between melodrama and humor. The script is witty and sophisticated, with both irony and allusion ...

Pros: Cecilia Roth's acting is outstanding, Cinematically interesting, Some heartfelt moments
Cons: Not for everyone -- sexual content will prevent some from enjoying this, and you may need to avoid this if you are still grieving a lost one

If you are familiar with Pedro Amoldovar's film work, you know that he featured Antonio Banderas in many of his early films and that he provides a forum for some of the best Spanish actresses to strut their stuff. You also know that his films are...

Pros: A tender and loving story told with subtlety and care.
Cons: The only redeemable "male" dies fifteen minutes into the film.

In Almodovar's world, there are no judgments about the choices one makes. Lifestyles, regardless of how controversial or confusing, are accepted by friends and family. Loving people and supporting them are the only things that matter. Those who are...

Pros: good acting, good music score
Cons: good PR for Almodovar has some mistaking disparagement for sophistication

More than most directors I can think of, Pedro Almodovar has benefited from the critics' all too willing need to fall in step with one another in praising someone they perceive to be an artistic visionary to validate their own taste. Here again, with All...

Pros: Everything
Cons: A couple of actors

*** I remind you that English is not my mother language, so I'd be really thankful if you corrected me any grammar or spelling mistake*** "All about my mother" is one of my three favorite movies, together with "Cenizas del paraíso" ...

Pros: Good performances, nice homages to Bette Davis
Cons: Slow paced film leaves viewer in a state of emotional indecisiveness

Hardly a thing on this earth can fill the empty hole of a parent who has lost her child. Manuela knows how deep that hole can be. Even worse, she had to watch her son Esteban die in front her eyes. What a hole that must have dug in her soul. She...

Pros: Funny, thought-provoking
Cons: can't think of any

I have only seen one other Almodovar film, and laughed my head off while I cried, so this one seemed a good bet. The same thing happened.

On the surface, this is another manic telling of a delaminating life, in this case that of a devoted...

Pros: beautifully shot, honest well-rounded characters, intelligent surrealist style
Cons: None

I have been a fan of Almodovar since Women on the Verge, and this film did not disappoint me. His work isn't for some people as he creates a world that is somewhat of a surrealist reality, in that several large plot coincidences do occur. But in this...