Pedro Almodovar

Started by bonanzataz, January 11, 2003, 02:53:27 PM

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bonanzataz

On the old new boards, I mentioned this guy. He's the one that did All About My Mother (which I haven't seen) and, more recently, Talk to Her (which was damn good). I like his movies. He's a funny guy who can somehow mix raunchy, weird, and cutting edge (John Waters type subject material), and it's all around a sweet, nice, happy core somewhere on the inside. Labyrinth of Passion is really good, as is Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Those are the only three Almodovar films I've seen, but I have a few in my collection that I borrowed from a friend of mine. Can't wait to find the time to watch them.

Anybody else an Almodovar fan?
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

xerxes

i enjoyed 'all about my mother' quite a bit... very well done

Duck Sauce

Wasnt much a fan of Todo Sobre Mi Madre but I really liked Live Flesh.

©brad

Almodovar is one of the best filmmakers working today. I have so much respect for him, getting hundreds of offers from Hollywood but still remaining in his home country making films he wants to make and not selling out.

Todo Sobre mi Madre was excellent. Atame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!), Matador, Law of Desire, Tacones Lejanos-- the ones I have seen, and have loved them all. So funny, moving, poignant, beautifully shot movies.

Jeremy Blackman

Almodovar is one of my favorite directors, and I actually think Talk to Her comes close to PDL.* Anyone who is trying to see Chicago, give up and look for Talk to Her. And forget all that Y Tu Mama Tambien stuff...

*kind of

Pwaybloe

I can't say much more about Almodovar that hasn't been said.  His writing is some of the most creative I have seen.  

I think this has been mentioned before, but I read that when he was younger he would go to the movies with his sisters and afterwards take the basic plot and retell it in his own fashion.  His sisters, of course, loved his version better.  

He makes chick flicks and soap operas the way they should be made.

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: Pawbloechick flicks and soap operas

Hmm. I dunno, when I think of those, I think of Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Anniston, and Jennifer Lopez. Sure, Almodovar focuses on women, but... assuming, hypothetically, that a chick flick can be made "the right way"... I think Almodovar is far too unsacharine, controversial, and ambiguous to come close.

NEON MERCURY

Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanAlmodovar is one of my favorite directors, and I actually think Talk to Her comes close to PDL.* Anyone who is trying to see Chicago, give up and look for Talk to Her. And forget all that Y Tu Mama Tambien stuff...

*kind of

..i agree w/ you and think that Talk to Her IMO is a better film than PDL..
i base this own first viewing alone.
I blind bought TTH b/c of peter travers(who's pinion i always admired) high praise for that film and the subsequent win ffor best original screenplay Acad. award which is one of my top three catagories.(((i like originnal sh*t)...i'll let my cinephile guard done to you guys and admit that i hate reading subtitiles...i own 7 or eight foreign ffilms and love 'em .Its just i hate reading. I rather ]watch..
so, the thing that sticks in my head after watching TTH is I felt delirious after watching it..its very strong and the music is beautiful....it sweeps you in its kind of like having a buzz from drinking to me best describes the feeling you get from this film..You can't help but sit back and smile the whole time...

as for PDL.i thimnks its wonderful aslo..But NOT near the level of TTH. i believe all the accolades it received are deserving.   i like how PTA made this very original from his other films....i still believe the coolest thingds were the lennns flares and the music.....it's shot very well.

as for Almodovar ..TTH is the only film i have seen by him..and i have heard nothing but praise for his work.....could someone suggest other films ..THAT ARE THE SAME CALIBER OF QUALITY AS TALK TO HER??

Kal

I think he is one of the best directors in the planet and most of his movies are really great... I never met him personally but I know a lot of the people (actors and crew) that have worked with him and everyone says he is a genius

He is now working on a new production called Bad Education that seems it will be very good...

Gold Trumpet

I really liked All About My Mother for its quality of touch to scenes and situations that could be really hoakey in other films. Also, in that movie, I felt Almodovar trying to push the limits of what kind of characters he can get you to care about this. A little of a bad idea, but All About My Mother still works for me. It may get dated later on. I kinda don't want to watch the movie again out of this fear.
Talk About Her, on the other hand, didn't have a chance to get dated. I disagreed with its decision making of story from the beginning. Its the matter of pushing the material to get you to care about characters but I just didn't care about the protaganist at all. We follow him everywhere but he's a rapist and I knew from the beginning he was. His act of child like care and attention to the woman didn't come off to me as him being sensitive, but disillusioned the way many rapists already are. Watch the Michael Jackson tv special months back and it is similiar profiles. Does this mean I couldn't care about him? Not at all. I just couldn't care about him by only following him through the seizures of his condition. I just wish the film would have been more hands off with this character and realize a lot of what he did was just the ID of this kind of rapist and exploitive. To have understood him better would have been to profile the friend and victim more and understand the benefits he had as a friend and the problems his conditions had to those he tried to love decently but failed to do so.

Stefen

Almodovar is a filmmaking master. Todo Sobre Mi Madre is a masterpiece in my opinion, one of my all time faves (Cecilia Roth owns this movie) Talk to her was very good also. I enjoyed Live Flesh but still think All About My Mother is his best and will probably always be his best.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

ElPandaRoyal

Quote from: StefenCecilia Roth owns this movie

She's amazing
Si

ElPandaRoyal

I just saw Talk To Her again and I hadn't seen it since it was released in theaters. I loved loved loved it the first time and what was impressive to me is that the movie hit me even harder this second time. It was Almodovar's finest effort to date and we can only hope he just gets better with every new release. Amazing direction, script, performances and soudtrack. Amazing film. Amazing... film...
Si

Stefen

Quote from: RoyalTenenbaumI just saw Talk To Her again and I hadn't seen it since it was released in theaters. I loved loved loved it the first time and what was impressive to me is that the movie hit me even harder this second time. It was Almodovar's finest effort to date and we can only hope he just gets better with every new release. Amazing direction, script, performances and soudtrack. Amazing film. Amazing... film...

Yes, this movie is definetely better the second time around. The characters are really fleshed out well. I might go out on a limb and say Almodovar is one of the greatest screenwriters working today. His directing isn't too shabby either. All About My Mother is still my favorite though.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

ElPandaRoyal

Quote from: StefenI might go out on a limb and say Almodovar is one of the greatest screenwriters working today.

I couldn't agree more. Nobody else could have won the best original screenplay Oscar last year, for instance. He writes great stories and superb dialogues.
Si