Los abrazos rotos / Broken Embraces

Särkyneet syleilyt / Brustna omfamningar.
    ES © 2009 El Deseo. EX: Agustín Almodóvar.
    D+SC: Pedro Almodóvar. DP: Rodrigo Prieto – negative: 35 mm (Kodak Vision2 250D 5205, Vision3 500T 5219) – Panavision 2,35:1 – color – digital intermediate 2K. PD: Antxón Gómez. COST: Sonia Grande. M: Alberto Iglesias.
    CAST: Penélope Cruz (Lena), Lluís Homar (Mateo Blanco / Harry Caine), Blanca Portillo (Judit García), José Luis Gómez (Ernesto Martel), Tamar Novas (Diego), Rubén Ochandiano (Ray X). 129 min.
    Released in Finland by Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Outi Kainulainen / Joanna Erkkilä. Cannes Film Festival: 19 May 2009. Finnish premiere: 14 Aug 2009.
    Viewed at Kinopalatsi 1, 16 Aug 2009 (general premiere weekend).

Pedro Almodóvar belongs to the select number of film makers whose new work I always look forward to. He does not disappoint with his new film, and it was a gratifying experience to see this in a big cinema with an audience grateful to see the new tale of a trusted storyteller.

This story is certainly self-reflective: Harry Caine resembles somewhat the protagonist of La ley del deseo, and the central reference is a film like Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios.

It is a thriller and a tragedy of passion. The mystery of the thriller is not fully resolved (at least when the film is seen only once): how fatal was the information given by Judit García: she was instrumental in helping to butcher the director's film, but was she also indirectly responsible for the fatal traffic accident?

But this is just the surface. The film is a meditation on many things: poverty (which triggered Lena to her fateful life-choice), art transforming life, the tragedy of the son living in the shadow of the mighty father, the jealousy of the rich tycoon for the poor artist.

Almodóvar's cinematic storytelling is assured and enthralling.

The digital intermediate look of the 35 mm print is not too obvious.

Elegy

Isabel Coixet: Elegy (US 2007) with Penélope Cruz (Consuela Castillo) and Ben Kingsley (David Kepesh). The Finnish title Kauneuden valta means The Power of Beauty. 

Kauneuden valta / Elegy – skönhetens makt. 

    US © 2007 Lakeshore. D: Isabel Coixet. SC: Nicholas Meyer – based on the novel The Dying Animal (2001) by Philip Roth. DP: Jean-Claude Larrieu – 1,85:1 – color. LOC: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 

    CAST: Ben Kingsley (David Kepesh), Penélope Cruz (Consuela Castillo), Patricia Clarkson (Carolyn), Dennis Hopper (George O'Hearn), Deborah Harry (Amy O'Hearn), Peter Sarsgaard (Kenneth Kepesh). 

    108 min

    A Future Film release with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by JS.

    Viewed at Kinopalatsi 5, Helsinki, 5 Jan 2009. 

A digi-mastered look, not grating, as the film is based on close-ups and medium shots of people. – There are parallels to The Human Stain: the male protagonist is a senior professor, and the female protagonist is a young woman who faces a crisis. The affair between the two is both profoundly fulfilling and deeply disturbing. The professor's breast fetish is not exaggerated in the movie, but Penélope Cruz's charms are wonderfully displayed. Among other things, the film is a celebration of her beautiful breasts. For the female viewer, Ben Kingsley's naked body is in perfect shape, he could be 30 years old. – The professor has always been emotionally immature. One of the big themes of the story is that reaching maturity is still possible at an advanced age. – All performances are good. Patricia Clarkson is the professor's grown-up lover. Dennis Hopper and Deborah Harry are the couple who are his best friends. Peter Sarsgaard plays the perennially frustrated son.

Isabel Coixet: Elegy (US 2007) with Penélope Cruz (Consuela Castillo). A story of breast cancer. Consuela wants to enjoy the pleasures of her breasts to the full before mastectomy. 

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona / Vicky Cristina Barcelona. ES/US (c) 2008 Gravier Productions / Mediapro. EX: Jaume Roures. CO-EX: Charles H. Joffe, Javier Méndez, Jack Rollins. P: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley. D+SC: Woody Allen. DP: Javier Aguirresarobe - color - 1,85:1. M: "Barcelona" performed by Giulia y los Tellarini. "Entre dos aguas" by Paco de Lucía. "Granada" by Isaac Albéniz, played on guitar by Emilio de Benito. "Asturias" (Leyenda) (fragment) by Isaac Albéniz, played on guitar by Juan Quesada, etc. PD: Alain Bainée. AD: Iñigo Navarro. COST: Sonia Grande. ED: Alisa Lepselter. LOC: Barcelona, Avilés, Oviedo (Catalonia). CAST: Rebecca Hall (Vicky), Scarlett Johansson (Cristina), Javier Bardem (Juan Antonio), Penélope Cruz (Maria Elena), Chris Messina (Doug), Patricia Clarkson (Judy Nash), Kevin Dunn (Mark Nash), Christopher Evan Welch (Narrator). 96 min. In English, partially in Catalan and Spanish. Released in Finland by Scanbox with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Saliven Gustavsson. Viewed at Tennispalatsi 3, 31 Oct 2008.

Definition not first-rate, focus questions, sloppy digital intermediate? - Woody Allen's amazing quest continues, this time again without him as an actor or voice, although his gestures and speech rhythms are momentarily recognizable in Scarlett Johansson's performance. - I admire Woody Allen's great continuity since the 1960s to the present. His is a series of relationship studies that can be compared with Eric Rohmer. - This is an interesting and original study of "Americans abroad", recognizing stereotypes, but without succumbing to clichés. There are the obvious Catalonian attractions, and more. - Beneath the "small story" lurk big themes, such as how hard it is to learn to love. The strange roads of passion. - Vicky is the serious woman, Cristina is the wild woman. There is no simple answer to the great questions. Passion is living to the full but risking disaster. Settling for a life with a successful businessman gives security, but life can feel unfulfilled. - "You are a different person here". - Maybe for the first time in a Woody Allen film there is a significant and positive homosexual moment (Scarlett Johansson and Penélope Cruz in the infrared darkroom). - Also maybe for the first time there is a serious new angle to the triangle situation: Juan Antonio and Maria Elena can only be happy and balanced when they are together with Cristina. - Woody Allen is still curious, still exciting.