Five reasons to watch Pain and Glory by Pedro Almodovar
On June 12, a new picture of the living Spanish classic Pedro Almodovar "Pain and Glory" was released on USA screens, which made a lot of noise at the last Cannes Film Festival. In particular, before the final announcement of the winners by the jury under the leadership of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the film was considered one of the main favorites, not only among filmmakers, but also among professional critics. LostFilm.INFO explains why Pain and Glory is highly discouraged, as is summer vacation after a full year of work. Moreover, the effect of both is about the same: the film shows how sometimes it is important to let go of the past and focus on something closer to your soul in order to enter a new stage of your life full of energy and strength.1. Best Performance by Antonio Banderas Antonio Banderas has always been and will be one of the most prominent Spanish-speaking actors on the world stage, and for this we must thank Pedro Almodovar for this, who more than 30 years ago invited the then very young and unknown boy to one of his early films. It was 1982's Labyrinth of Passions. On it, the cooperation of the two filmmakers did not stop. Subsequently, thanks to the growing popularity of Almodovar's films, which gradually began to go beyond his native Spain, the whole world heard about Antonio Banderas.  The fact that Pedro chose to play the main role in his virtually autobiographical film, not just anyone, namely Antonio, takes on a truly sacred meaning. This is both a great honor and a tribute. The actor embodies his movie father on the screen and does it with unprecedented persuasiveness, sincerity and dedication. His character is called Salvador Malvo. He is a renowned Spanish filmmaker who, in his opinion, is too old to create. And it's not a desire or lack of original ideas - Malvo has a laptop full of stories and unfinished scripts. The problem is in his physical condition: his lungs wheeze, bones and joints do not allow him to move as before, insomnia takes away all his strength, constant headaches do not allow him to think about anything except the pain itself. Banderas is 58 years old. Over the course of his long and rewarding career, he has amassed numerous nominations for various awards, from Goya and Golden Globes to Emmy and MTV awards. But he received his most important award at this moment precisely for the image of Salvador Malvo in the film Pain and Glory - the jury of the Cannes Film Festival this year presented him with the prize for Best Actor. 2. The most poignant and personal film of Pedro Almodovar Pain and Glory is the 21st film by the Spanish director who gave the world Talk to Her, All About My Mother and The Skin I Live In. In itself, very emotional and expressive, Almodovar for more than 30 years told stories about passion, burning, often same-sex, love, splash and explosion of feelings. Most of his films scream - due to bright colors (the director's favorite red and green), expressive actors and emotions oozing from all cracks. Everything is different here. Pain and Glory is perhaps his most restrained movie, calm yet deeply sensual and tactile. The most mature work of Almodovar, where the reflections of the protagonist come to the fore, and the background fully absorbs the former expression: the artistic performance pleases with a luxurious selection of interior colors, catchy design, color.  The autobiography of the film can be traced not only in the fact that the main character is a director who cannot see his life without cinema. Almodovar shares with us the most intimate. Firstly, they will allow the viewer to look at the world for a second through his eyes, through the eyes of a great artist and, it will not be an exaggeration, the genius of cinema. Secondly, he delicately, with such a sobriety that he never had in this matter, illuminates the homosexuality of his hero (Pedro himself is openly gay and is happily married to his man). Banderas perfectly felt the nostalgic mood in the line with the character of Leonardo Sbaraglia, giving their joint scenes a feeling of warming warmth. Thirdly, an important part of the film was the relationship of El Salvador with his mother, so touching and sensitive that it is impossible not to see Pedro Almodovar himself (not a director, but a loving son) in them. After all, it is no accident that in one of their on-screen conversations, the mother tells her son that she does not like auto-fiction and does not want him to use her words or image in his films. Previously, it would have been unacceptable and vulgar, but now, in Pain and Glory, there is nothing without it. 3. Delightful soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias Three-time Oscar nominee Alberto Iglesias, like Banderas or cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine, is one of Almadovar's loyal comrades (this is their 11th film together) whom they met on the set of The Flower of My Secret in 1995. For Iglesias, Pain and Glory also became the main work in his career. She earned him the prize for Best Soundtrack at the Cannes Film Festival. The award is not as prestigious as that of Banderas, but if you compare his creation with those for which he was nominated for an Oscar, then there is no doubt - he wrote Almodovar his best music. Believe me, you will fall in love with this violin from the very first credits.  4. Penelope Cruz Special Feature As one of the director's muses, Penelope Cruz often appears in the films of Pedro Almodovar, usually in small but important roles. In the new film, Pedro entrusted Penelope with the heroine closest to his heart - Salvador's mother, when he was still quite a child and was just about to go to school. The narrative of Pain and Glory is divided into two time periods: the present, where Salvador suffers from pain and tries to establish relations with the actor of his hit thirty years ago, Alberto Crespo (brilliantly played by Asier Eceandia), and the past, where the Malvo family had to live in poverty ... The transition between the present and the past is carried out with the help of the most delicate editing, when the main character is reminisced.  In addition, the movie opens with one of the most enchanting and poetic scenes in Almodovar's career in general, and this is not a small merit of Cruz. Her heroine, together with little El Salvador and her friends, wash clothes on the river, sing songs, hang up sheets and in just a couple of minutes recreate the lost atmosphere of childish serenity and absolute freedom, which is simply impossible in our world. 5. An ideal film for both loyal fans of Almodovar and those who are just about to immerse themselves in his work The main charm of Pain and Glory is that this picture can fall in love with you even without knowing the details of the director's life or watching his previous works. This is such an integral and self-sufficient work that it does not require any preparatory actions for viewing and allows you to enjoy the history, artistic value and acting without reservations. However, for fans of Almodovar who have watched at least a dozen of his paintings, Pain and Glory will certainly prove to be a rewarding experience.  Pain and Glory is by no means a swan song, not a confession or an attempt to sum up. Rather, entering a new creative stage. Pedro Almodovar, like his hero, collected the thoughts and personal experiences accumulated over the years and finally let them go, giving form and independence. So, with cinematic maturity, Almodovar came to the second directorial youth. Even if he doesn't direct anything else, Pain and Glory will be a great final film, but the desire to see his new creation has never been more burning. The Topic of Article: Five reasons to watch Pain and Glory by Pedro Almodovar. |
