Review of Broken Embraces (2009) by Colleen B — 18 Jan 2010

This film was a lot for me to take in. I really appreciated (and found quite striking) the similarities it had with my own life. Almodóvar's attention to detail is one to marvel at, always. He can have an entire scene that focuses on tomatoes and somehow he makes it sensual, vibrant, and powerful.

Much like he did with Hable Con Ella, Almodóvar seems to have a particular message he wants to convey, a point her carefully explores and illustrates with compassion. The characters in this film throw around the word "love" quite often but never truly seem to have a clear grasp of the concept, though it works miracles in their lives regardless of their obliviousness.

I found that concept very touching. The stark foreshadowing was alluring to me as well. Almodóvar has a flamboyant flair for being in your face, and I thought this sort of approach worked really well for that technique.

Typically Almodóvar- funny, dark, lurid, erotic, and somehow beautiful. What more can I say, I love the man's work, and this is certainly no exception.