Broken Embraces (2009)

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 & 40 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:

obsession | love | wealth | writer | 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 [Spain] Official site [France]

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

15 January 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Broken Embraces

Filming Locations:

Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£296,048 (UK) (28 August 2009)

Gross:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Agustín Almodóvar: Pedro Almodóvar's brother, and the film's producer, appears as an employee of Ernesto Martel, in the scene where Lena returns from hospital. Agustín has cameos in 15 of the 17 films which Pedro Almodóvar has directed.

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Goofs

After Ernesto pushed Lena on the staircase, he takes her to the hospital in his Rolls Royce. When they approach the metal gate of his Villa, you can see, almost in the middle of the frame, a blue square with a man inside, most probably a crew person.

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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 Belle de Jour (1967)

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Soundtracks

A ciegas
Written by Juan Quintero, Rafael de León and Manuel L. Quiroga
Performed by Miguel Poveda
Arranged by Alberto Iglesias

User Reviews

Below par

A consistent but drifting film. It's as if the director has his mind one thing but presents the audience with another. It's a highly professional version of the one film every film maker gets to do, i.e. the somewhat indulgent, possibly biopic rumination on their life in their work.

Broken Embraces is about the film-making process: its temptations, sacrifices, politics, frustrations, contradictions and rewards. Almodovar is discreet about his own love of the medium, barring one painful trawl through his own (by extension) DVD collection. The problem is that he can't quite settle on which plot thread to make the principal story. Essentially it's a flashback tale in the life of the director- scriptwriter Mateo, played well if imperfectly by Lluís Homar. The most significant drama is his love affair with his leading lady - Cruz as muse, here in art, as in Almodovar's life. She is good, if predictable. So it goes on.

There are plot dead ends, dramatic peaks which have little precedent and go nowhere... strangely it hangs together, although I was a little bored. 4/10