Young Esteban wants to become a writer and also to discover the identity of his second mother, a trans woman, carefully concealed by his mother Manuela.
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
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.
The protagonist of "Pain and Glory" was at the decline of his career. The man involuntarily looks back into the past, and a stream of vivid memories falls upon him. He recalls such moments from his youth as tender feelings for his mother, love and separation, the search for happiness and success. All this leads the master of cinema to important thoughts about life and art, because this is the most important thing for him.Written by
Peter-Patrick76 (peter-patrick@mail.com)
Half autobiographic, half fiction, Almodóvar's most intimate work is an european drama carved with humor and intense emotions you wouldn't want to miss, Antonio Banderas is a tour de force.
II. Full review:
Since this year's Cannes Film Festival celebration in which Pain and Glory competed for the Palm d'Or for best picture and supposedly the favorite to win, I took quite interest in Almodóvar's new film, also my personal experiences with two of his films that I've seen, 'Talk to Her' (which I think is an absolute masterpiece), and the very creative thriller 'The Skin I Live In' (also starring Antonio Banderas), were strong factors of that interest.
The film tells the story of a depressed and aching director that reconnects with old friends and people he used to care about, at the time that he reflects on his humble but enlightning past in several ways, all from the perspective of his gloomy and lonesome present.
Pain and Glory escalates in a ladder of triumphs, since its mesmerizing soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), an astonishing cinematography by José Luis Alcaine, a masterful direction and gripping script by Pedro Almodóvar, to its top and greatest gift of all: a colossal performance by Antonio Banderas, which justifies his award for best actor in Cannes 2019.
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I. Short review:
Half autobiographic, half fiction, Almodóvar's most intimate work is an european drama carved with humor and intense emotions you wouldn't want to miss, Antonio Banderas is a tour de force.
II. Full review:
Since this year's Cannes Film Festival celebration in which Pain and Glory competed for the Palm d'Or for best picture and supposedly the favorite to win, I took quite interest in Almodóvar's new film, also my personal experiences with two of his films that I've seen, 'Talk to Her' (which I think is an absolute masterpiece), and the very creative thriller 'The Skin I Live In' (also starring Antonio Banderas), were strong factors of that interest.
The film tells the story of a depressed and aching director that reconnects with old friends and people he used to care about, at the time that he reflects on his humble but enlightning past in several ways, all from the perspective of his gloomy and lonesome present.
Pain and Glory escalates in a ladder of triumphs, since its mesmerizing soundtrack by Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), an astonishing cinematography by José Luis Alcaine, a masterful direction and gripping script by Pedro Almodóvar, to its top and greatest gift of all: a colossal performance by Antonio Banderas, which justifies his award for best actor in Cannes 2019.