Broken Embraces (2009)
"Los abrazos rotos" (original title)

Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie.

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar

Stars:

Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Penélope Cruz	...	Lena
Lluís Homar	...	Mateo Blanco / Harry Caine
Blanca Portillo	...	Judit García
José Luis Gómez	...	Ernesto Martel
Rubén Ochandiano	...	Ray X
Tamar Novas	...	Diego
Ángela Molina	...	Madre de Lena
Chus Lampreave	...	Portera
Kiti Mánver	...	Madame Mylene
Lola Dueñas	...	Lectora de labios
Mariola Fuentes	...	Edurne
Carmen Machi	...	Chon
Kira Miró	...	Modelo
Rossy de Palma	...	Julieta
Alejo Sauras	...	Álex

Storyline

Passion, obsession, wealth, jealousy, family, guilt, and creativity. In Madrid, Harry Caine is a blind screenwriter, assisted by Judit and her son Diego. The past comes rushing in when Harry learns of the death of Ernesto Martel, a wealthy businessman, and Ernesto's son pays Harry a visit. In a series of flashbacks to the 1990s, we see Harry, who was then Mateo Blanco, a director; he falls in love with Ernesto's mistress, Lena, and casts her in a film, which Ernesto finances. Ernesto is jealous and obsessive, sending his son to film the making of the movie, to follow Lena and Mateo, and to give him the daily footage. Judit doesn't like Lena. It's a collision course.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | jealousy | 1990s | love | screenwriter | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [es] Official site [fr]

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

18 March 2009 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Broken Hugs

Filming Locations:

Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$107,111 (USA) (20 November 2009)

Gross:

$5,009,119 (USA) (21 May 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures International (UPI), Canal+ España, El Deseo S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The photograph featured in the film of Harry and Lena embracing on Golfo Beach in Lanzarote has its roots in a real life photograph Pedro Almodóvar took of Golfo Beach whilst there in 2000. When he had the photograph developed, the director saw at the bottom of the photo a couple he hadn't noticed on the day embracing. "I felt that the couple hid a secret", he said later. "The whole island was holding a secret. I had to unveil that secret."

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, during Matteo remakes the video, we see two chairs in old video record which are made by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola for Italian furniture brand Moroso (Antibodi chaise lounge - produced in 2006). While Lena was going to open the door for red dress woman there behind we can see each of them. And also outside in the terrace we can see another chair designed by P. Urquiola for Moroso (Tropicalia chair - produced in 2009). But from 1990 to 1996 P. Urquiola was the assistant professor to Achille Castiglioni and Eugenio Bettinelli at the Politecnico Di Milano and ENSCI in Paris.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[in Spanish, quoting English subtitles]
Modelo: What's your name?
Mateo Blanco: Harry Caine.
[voiceover]
Mateo Blanco: I used to be called Mateo and I was a film director. I was always tempted by the idea of being someone else, as well as myself. Living one's life wasn't enough, so I invented a pseudonym, Harry Caine, an adventurer who, as fate would have it, became a writer. I had him sign all the scripts and stories I wrote. For years, Mateo Blanco and Harry Caine shared the same body, mine. But a moment came when ...

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Connections

References Fanny and Alexander (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Werewolf"
Performed by Cat Power

User Reviews

The Last Kiss

In 1992, in Madrid, the secretary and escort girl Lena (Penélope Cruz) becomes the mistress of the powerful entrepreneur Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez) that is her boss and takes care of her terminal father. In the present days, the blind screenwriter Mateo Blanco (Lluís Homar) known by his code name Harry Caine meets a beautiful blonde (Kira Miró) on the street that offers to read the newspaper for him and tells that Ernesto Matel has died. Then his agent Judit García (Blanca Portillo) and her son Diego (Tamar Novas) arrive and Harry promises to end the screenplay that he is writing until the end of the day. Judit leaves the apartment and Harry is visited by a man code named X-Ray (Rubén Ochandiano) that introduces himself as a filmmaker and asks Harry to write the screenplay of his documentary about his intolerant father. Harry recognizes him, refuses the request, sends him away and recalls the year of 1994, when he was casting for his film "Chicas Y Maletas" and met Lena. Sooner they fall in love for each other and Ernesto Martel, who was the producer, sends his homosexual son to prepare the behind scene and making off of the movie. With the support of a reader of lips, the jealous and obsessive Martel daily falls each step of Lena with tragic consequences for the couple of lovers.

"Los Abrazos Partidos" is another magnificent film of the talented Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, who is among my favorite contemporary directors. The plot has a complex, but perfect screenplay with use of flashbacks with a marvelous development of the characters. Lluís Homar performs the lead character Mateo Blanco a.k.a. Harry Caine (a pun with hurricane) that uses two alternate names of Pedro Almodóvar and has a great performance. His erotic scene with the unknown and extremely gorgeous Kira Miró is astonishing. Penélope Cruz is stunning and has another top-notch performance directed by Almodóvar. The open conclusion is ironic after the remark of Mateo Blanco about "Chicas Y Maletas" and I liked it. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Abraços Partidos" ("Broken Hugs")