Review of Talk to Her (2002) by Ewa G — 04 Jul 2013
Pedro Almodovar's sublime melodrama about two men who fall in love with their comatose women is a contemporary masterpiece. Eschewing a farcical structure, Almodovar has crafted a poetic, contemplative drama on loneliness, friendship, unrequited desire, and communication difficulties.
Told in flashbacks with short segments that detail how these characters lives are intertwined. Dario Grandinetti is a journalist visiting the hospital after his lover, a matador (Rosario Flores), is gored in the ring; an asexual nurse (Javier Camara) attends to his comatose patient, a beautiful dancer (Leonor Watling), than proceeds to fall in love with her.
This leads to a disturbing revelation presented with delicate honesty that has a devastating sadness. Astonishingly, we don't recoil from the character's actions. Almodovar includes an audacious, ironic silent film passage where a scientist takes a potion that causes him to shrink.
It ends as a satire on coitus when the pipsqueak-sized scientist literally enters his lover's genitalia and excites her while she sleeps. The movie opens and closes with a lovingly staged Pina Bausch dance recital.
Written by Almodovar; who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Haunting, lyrical music score is by Alberto Iglesias. With Geraldine Chaplin. In Spanish with English subtitles.
This review of Talk to Her (2002) was written by Ewa G on 04 Jul 2013.
Talk to Her has generally received very positive reviews.
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