What a beautiful movie! It’s directed by Pedro Almodovar. This is the second of his movies I’ve watched so far (first one is Live Flesh). The other well known movies by him include All about My Mother and Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown, among some others.
He’s a very brilliantly orchestered style of making movies. It’s lyrical. Allegorical. Events and emotions flow like music notes in his movies. It’s like Ballet, where characters, like Ballerinas, perform to emote various emotions, only they are not experiencing them but their performances, music leave that mark on the audience.
His emphasis on drama itself is very subtle. He does not engage or indulge too much into it. Death, irony, tragedy, happiness change scenery like a panoramic view. It’s visible, observable but does not stay there longer to revel into it.
Sadzz, If you are like me (very few people are) you would look at this thread as a cheezy attempt by Roman to impress little girls from Australia with his psuedo-cultural proclivities.
This is the same guy who giggles whenever he says Coque Monsieur in a bistro.
I have seen quite a few of Pedro's films, particularly the ones starring Antonio Banderas/Penelope Cruz and a few other ones with people I don't know. His films are quite good and humourous .... always an interesting storyline.
Mehnaz, of the two movies I've watched, there are certain similiarities in the storyline. It seems there is always a "twist of fate or turn of events" element spun by irony involved in the romantic storyline of characters. A woman changing hands among two men has been a commonality. His female lead characters have certain common characteristics. They all are very beautiful women, with an athletic, or more deliberately so, a dancer/Ballerina physique. There is a certain refreshing warmth in their appearance that's quite alluring to the audience. They are self-assertive in terms of professions/general interests in life/hobbies but tend to be at loss in love and change partners based on chance or turn of events (mostly developed by irony) rather than anything purely out of desire. So there is a certain feel of "ceremonial feminine helplessness" to them. He seems to have a certain slant for this type of characters and storylines and he's quite good at it.
The female characters are always quite sensual ... you are right. I just thought that was cause they are Spanish.
I don't know .... I like the humour he portrays in his movies ... he makes everything seem so light-hearted ... at least in the films I have seen. You don't see characters going beserk due to dramatic turn of events, and if they do, it's done in a witty, funny way that makes it all the more appealing to the audience (or at least me).
Mehnaz, the two that I watched are more like dramas than comedies so can't say. But you're right about the light-hearted part. He treates the subject matter lightly instead of divulging into it to let viewers taste it in their own ways. That's why the feel of his movies is more engaging and lasting.
Well that's just it Roman, the ones I have seen are also quite serious in nature (dealing with themes of kidnapping, rape, incest, affairs, etc.) ... but there is always some sort of humour in the way he portrays it ... making it very light-hearted, and as you said, engaging. He's totally out there. I have never seen anybody make movies like him.
