Perhaps Spain’s most famous film director, Pedro Almodovar has had a legendary career, creating everything from difficult melodramas to comedies, sci-fi thrillers, and moody noirs. Regardless of genre, his themes are thought-provoking, exploring the tragic extremes of the human experience, such as the treatment of women, homosexuals, and transgender people by Spain’s Catholic society, as well as grief and sexual abuse. I often dig deep. Although his themes can be heavy, his cinematography is dazzling, with colorful costumes and funky sets making his films a feast for the eyes. Whether you’ve heard of him and are just curious, or you’re an aficionado looking to revisit his classics, SBS On Demand has Almodóvar’s coverage from the ’80s to the present. Featuring many of the biggest hits. First, let me introduce some titles.
Women on the verge of nervous breakdown
This bizarre 1988 film combines elements of melodrama, black comedy, romantic comedy, and film noir to take you on a trippy journey in the best possible way. Pepa (Carmen Maura), a TV dubbing actress, is dumped by her boyfriend Ivan (Fernando Guillén) and falls into a state of confusion, and when her ex-lover turns out to be a terrorist, she helps a friend try to hijack her. I notice that The plane – coincidentally, Ivan and another acquaintance were on board. As the name suggests, this is a character portrait of several women on the brink of psychological catastrophe, rendered in a magnetically over-the-top, whiplash-inducing plot. Its unbridled eccentricity appealed to audiences, and upon its release it became the most successful Spanish film in history at the box office.
“Women of Nervous Deterioration” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
Women on the verge of nervous breakdown
please tell her
Widely regarded as one of Almodóvar’s best works, 2002’s Talk to Her contemplates all relationships, from longing and friendship to sadness and loneliness. Benigno (Javier Cámara), a nurse, is obsessed with Alicia (Leonor Watling), a dancer who practices ballet in the window across the street from his apartment. When she falls into a coma after a car accident, Benigno happens to be assigned to care for her. Talk to her and develop a strange one-sided relationship. Afterwards, he meets Marco (Dario Grandinetti), a journalist who is watching over his girlfriend Lidia, who is also in a coma, and the two bond over their hardships, and their relationship with the comatose women changes drastically (in one case). (which causes anxiety). The plot may have some of Almodovar’s typical eccentricities, but Talk to Her is a quieter, more reserved part of his canon, and the protagonist’s sometimes disturbing obsession with a comatose woman is reflected on in a gentle, empathetic way. It’s fascinating.
“Talk to Her” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
broken hug
2009’s Broken Embraces saw a more mature Almodovar take over the director’s chair, taking his penchant for color and melodrama and elevating it to create a film that is both emotionally moving and wryly funny. Ta. Blind writer Mateo (Luis Omar) experiences flashbacks of his life before he went blind when he is assigned to care for an agent’s son who accidentally overdoses. They tell the story of a strange love triangle in which Mateo competes for the affections of Lena (Penelope Cruz), a beautiful aspiring actress. The other corner of the triangle is Mateo’s wealthy film financier, Ernesto (José Luis Gomez), who is so controlling and aggressive that the two end up eloping before tragedy strikes. Almodovar’s characteristically bright cinematography and vibrant sets (enhanced by the summer filming locations in Lanzarote) provide a sharp contrast to the melancholy of Mateo’s flashbacks. In the hands of a less talented director, such a meandering plot full of stylistic inconsistencies might be confusing, but here it depicts a whirlwind experience of love, conflict, and loss. .
“Broken Embraces” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
living body
This 1997 film pushes the envelope, even considering Almodovar’s somewhat taboo tendencies. The film is based on Ruth Rendell’s novel of the same name and focuses on Victor (Liberto Rabal), the son of a prostitute who was born on a bus in Madrid during the last days of the Franco regime. Twenty years later, he is living in poverty, having sex with a heroin addict he met at a nightclub. In a typical Almodovarian bizarre twist, the two are arrested by the police and Victor becomes romantically involved with one of the cop’s girlfriends, but an abusive cop, Sancho (José Sancho), drives him to take revenge. The situation is tense because of the situation. A tense thriller that also explores the psychology of abusive relationships and broken society, Live Flesh is one of Almodovar’s darker films. It retains the funky, eye-catching cinematography he’s known for, with less of the comical absurdity of his other films, but still enough to keep you on your toes.
Live Flesh is currently streaming on SBS On Demand.
parallel mothers
Almodovar’s latest feature film returns to a hospital setting, plots two patients bonded by trauma, and feels like an extension of Talk to Me (in the best possible way). It feels like. Two women, Janice (Penelope Cruz) and Ana (Milena Smit), both accidentally become pregnant and end up sharing a hospital room while waiting to give birth. The two bond, but later discover that their babies were accidentally switched. When one of them loses a child, their friendship suddenly becomes more intimate. In typical Almodovar style, it’s an emotionally intense depiction of motherhood, trauma, and chance encounters (not to mention a perfectly woven subplot about memories of the Spanish Civil War). But his style, with its bold colors and touches of melodrama, gives Parallel Mothers a slightly euphoric feel. The end result is a perfect balance of light and darkness. This film weighs heavily on the mind, but also serves as an inspiration for how we interact with others and the world.
Parallel Mothers will be streamed on SBS On Demand from July 17 to August 16, 2024.
What did I do to deserve this?
This early work in Almodovar’s filmography (and perhaps his first film to start becoming a big hit outside of Spain) has a fun, chaotic energy, and though it’s more of a black comedy than a thriller, its reckless pacing It somehow feels refreshing. The film depicts the lives of a working-class family, as Gloria, a janitor, tries to profit from creating a fake Hitler diary while her taxi driver husband rekindles his romance with a famous German singer. (Carmen Maura). In addition, Gloria has two sons. A sexually active 12-year-old and a 14-year-old who dreams of growing heroin. Not to mention, there’s also Gloria’s mother-in-law sipping soft drinks lazing around in her tiny apartment. Dark as the devil, what did I do to deserve this? is the kind of movie that excites audiences to see how the entire House on the Sand comes crashing down.
What did I do to deserve this? Now available on SBS On Demand.
What did I do to deserve this?
law of desire
Perhaps the queerest film in Almodovar’s filmography, this film is part comedy and part thriller. After Pablo (Eusebio Ponceira), a porn director, abandons his lover Juan and is exiled to a lighthouse, he tries to get back in touch with Pablo through a letter. But at this point, a new flame, Antonio (Antonio Banderas), is on the scene. After his first homosexual experience with Pablo, he becomes an obsessive and controlling partner, loses control, pursues Juan, and seduces Antonio’s transgender sister. The film was surprisingly progressive in its depiction of queer life, considering it was released in 1987. “Laws of Desire” undoubtedly upset some conservative sections of the public, but Almodovar managed to get away with a surprisingly frank portrayal of sexuality. Perhaps it’s because he intensified his melodramatic style even more than usual. The result is a film that is at once serious, quirky, and thoroughly compelling.
“Law of Desire” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
Celebrate the work of an Oscar-winning Spanish writer who burns with passion, melodrama and complex female-driven stories on SBS On Demand.
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