Review of Broken Embraces (2009) by Andres S — 06 Mar 2010

Early Almodóvar was eccentric; vivid colours and heartbreaking melodrama. And it was always quite wonderful.

But he's now a more mature director, and instead you get a more self-reflective and noir-ish affair. And it's still wonderful.

Itâ??s part of his brilliance to tell wild stories without you even batting an eyelid. But here you canâ??t help notice the filmâ??s complexity, not least because this tragic romantic thriller is mostly about films. Indeed the staircase scene is cinematic brilliance, and should have Ingrid Bergman walking on.

Cruz is as enchanting as ever and channels images of actresses from Monroe to Hepburn through her various masks of hair, clothes and make-up. What is it about when she teams up with Almodóvar? A great Spanish double act.