Review of Talk to Her (2002) by Blake P — 04 Jul 2015

In Talk to Her Almodovar takes us with ballads and dance through a story where his leitmotif emerges once more. A situation that causes two consequences, from which the main characters can't escape, as one cannot exist without the other. Acknowledging one would require the same for the other; and even if one deserves such acknowledgement as eternal gratitude, the other can never be pardoned. Impunity in the end becomes the only possible path.

Benigno commits a crime. His troubled mind, caused by 15 years of being his mother's caretaker, leads him to obsess about Alicia. By unfortunate chance she ends up in his hospital bed, under his constant nursing, surveillance and control. This fabricated relationship in his mind leads him to constantly caring for her, massaging her muscles, keeping her body fit. Ultimately he rapes her: the crime that can never be pardoned. At the moment of the birth of her child, she wakes up from her eternal coma: the consequence that deserves eternal gratitude. One act with two very opposite but coexisting consequences. And finally the impunity of Benigno, liberating himself from jail by committing suicide. In the end, was he ill-intentioned or, as his name hints, Benign?

The choice of the bullfighter profession for Lidia points out her strong character as a woman. On the inside nonetheless, we find another bullfighter, a sensible one, incapable of fighting even a small rat as well as the past romance that floods her lover's mind, and makes him cry with every memory. She falls in love with him, the bull she cannot fight.

The ballet represents the form of bodily expression which the comatose state contrasts.

The friendship between Benigno and Marco forms such tight bonds due to the loneliness both have, comprehension that only they could provide to each other.

As usual every detail is carefully picked by Almodovar. The subliminal color red, the camera close-up shots. Even for instance the play Benigno assists to, "Amante menguante", sort of "diminishing lover", which parallels with the diminishing lover Benigno becomes, craving to ultimately merge with Alicia and stay forever as a part of her.

The movie shows how even if we are masters at fighting, sometimes there are things we cannot fight. Even if we can control our bodies in total harmony, sometimes our bodies are beyond our control. Even the strongest fall. But most notably, some acts lead to dichotomy which has to be embraced with its two contrasting consequences effects, for a benevolent consequence cannot exist without a malevolent one.