BROKEN EMBRACES

12/26/2010

What do you think of Broken Embraces?

To give you some thought:
In an interview by Dave Calhoun with Almodóvar for the Time Out London magazine, Almodóvar said 'there are a lot of important themes. It’s a great love story. It’s also a great story about cinema, about the fragility of cinema if someone steps in between the author and the film. It’s about parents, children and guilt. It’s also a declaration of love for my profession,’

17 Comments

Tom - 27 - UK

12/28/2010 04:02:01 am

brilliant film at last! Sorry to disagree with you there Anna - I think that this film has done a lot to bring Almodovar back.
The picture where she is covered with all those chains reveals the choice she’s made in her life, to be literally enchained by money. Her reasons are wrong but nevertheless understandable: trying to save her father, giving her mother a feeling of security, and as you say if need to be a hooker, then better be a high paid one. She could live like that for sometime, until she got intimate with art. Martel’s first attempt to destroy Lena and her life is through the destruction of the movie, the destruction of hers and Mateo’s art. I guess that’s the point to which I was especially sensitive and found was so powerfully shown in this movie - the destruction of art’s life and subsequently of the people who created it. So I would have to disagree with your point that the film takes away from the more personal elements that we see as well in 'Bad education'.

laura

10/2/2013 04:43:58 am

Hello Pedro, I'm writting you because I'm doing a work about cinema.
My name is Laura, and I'm seventeen years old. I'm from Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
I'm studying the last year of high school, and the next one I'm going to the university.
I need your help cause', in this year we've got to do a final work about something related with our posterior studies. I'll study Cinema, in Barcelona or Madrid. Please, let me explain you what is my work about: my work is titulated: "how to do a movie" and I would like you to answer me some questions, and to teach me how to do the best work I've ever done.
You'll help me too much, you can't imagine how.
I hope your answer.
Gratefully, Laura.

Braddo

12/28/2010 06:17:19 am

I do not approve of the background music triggered by my presence on this website.

Sophia - 23 - US - Texas

1/11/2011 04:49:05 am

I have seen this film and i love it. I completley think Almodovar uses a lot more realism in this film than he does in Volver and Bad education for that matter. Volver is complete fiction and totally goes against the values of Spanish culture in the sense that it is a load of fiction. Broken Embraces deals with a heart rendering plot line and it made me cry. Almodovar puts much more emotion in this film as it is realistic and viewers can position themselves all the situations that he puts on screen.

Patricia - 58 Birmingham

1/16/2011 01:54:41 am

I watched Broken Embraces last night - I found it a really heart wrenching story to watch! I disagree that there is no depth to the story and although it is not as historically significant as some of his past films, the reason I appreciated it was because it was different. Almodovar has moved with the times and produced a 'normal' film but with a plot that is everso realistic and heartbreaking. I agree that you need to watch it twice to get good idea of what is going on - it is rather complicted and has more sub plots than one might first comprehend.

Paul Omar 26 - UK Manchester

1/16/2011 02:03:37 am

Hey Anna! I found your site on filmforum.com!
Wow I am going to go against the majority of these answers because I wasn't a fan of this film...
Perhaps because I am half Spanish and I lived in Spain when I was younger I have always been a great fan of Almodovar and followed his films closely.
Almodovar attracted such a lot of fans originally because of the originality of his movies. The historical and political content that he produced on screen actually meant a lot to society. In films such as Talk to her, the storyline was so controversial and something no one had ever seen on screen before that the interest was outstanding. In Broken Embrace Almodovar has put more of a Hollywood spin on it and there is nothing really 'Spanish' or 'controversial' about it. Sure it is exciting in the sense that you see Cruz nearly naked and having an affair with the director but the storyline is a bit cheesy and I didn't like it!
Btw love your site! What's the reason for it?

HARRIET UK

1/18/2011 07:31:50 pm

you need to see this film twice to know what's going on - i saw it one time and thought the protagonist was blind the whole way through - it's confusing to say the least!

Poppy - UK 26

2/1/2011 03:09:43 am

Almodovar has been so successful and one of those reasons is because he has always improved, adapted, complicated and modernised the films he does. His first few films - 'Pepi, Luci & Bom' etc would probably give the uninitiated the wrong idea about him as a director as it does not have either the visual vibrancy and colour nor the emotional depth of his later films. However when I watch Broken Embraces I was stunned at the way that film movements have progressed so much in Europe. He demonstrates his flexibility in cinema; film noir was never a Spanish concept for example but he makes it one. For me personally, Broken Embraces is a film that I can watch over and over again primarily because of this reason. I hope his next film will have another revelation like this.

Gabby - University of Washington

2/15/2011 02:13:17 am

I think the film has a personal touch. I have found that it is a good idea to watch the film twice before looking too deeply into the themes and background of the film. In his interview with Dave Calhoun he states that it is important to watch it twice because 'it's complex in the best sense' in that it has many themes and seperate storylines that perhaps have more depth than I originally saw!

Paul - UK

2/15/2011 02:15:17 am

I was very disappointed with this film -nothing was really that controversial in it! Please give us something better next time Almodovar!

dan wolf

5/15/2011 10:43:35 pm

i love almodovar. his movies have truly reached me on a emotional level. im pretty sure i own almost eveyone on dvd. i cant wait for skin i live in

Danny link

7/12/2012 06:08:53 am

THX for info

Wáclaw link

8/16/2012 11:16:53 am

THX for info

MR ADRIAN DWIGHT SWABY

1/8/2014 10:25:06 pm

http://your-daily-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gabrielle-Reece-4.jpg
http://your-daily-girl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gabrielle-Reece-4.jpg

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTk1/z/eCoAAOxyRNJSdLMw/$%28KGrHqJ,!lQFJhgC-7ufBSdLMw,6pQ~~60_35.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTk1/z/eCoAAOxyRNJSdLMw/$(KGrHqJ,!lQFJhgC-7ufBSdLMw,6pQ~~60_35.JPG

IS IT FOR THEM TO READ ENGLISH
IT INVOLVES CASES SUMMER HOLIDAYS FUN AND A DOCTOR
HAVE FUN
ENJOY YOUR DAY

THANK YOU KINDLY

MR ADRIAN DWIGHT SWABY

James Hartz

1/25/2014 02:54:50 pm

This is for Pedro,
I am a big fan of your work. Would you please be so kind as to send me an autographed photo? My info is:
James Hartz
5650 Swan Creek Dr.
Toledo, OH 43614

Альбина

6/11/2014 05:44:15 am

Pedro Almodovar - fascista, pide liberar a un terrorista que planeaba терракты en la península de Crimea. Una vergüenza.

Danielle Diz

8/18/2016 04:45:14 pm

Hello, Pedro.
My name's Danielle Diz, I'm from Brazil and I am making an online fundraising to help me pay for my studies in film school New York Film Academy. Can You Help?

The link is
https://www.vakinha.com.br/vaquinha/estudar-no-eua

Gracias

BROKEN EMBRACES

Leave a Reply.

Anna Guglielmi

Archives

Categories