Comments on: I Talked to Her

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:58:30 +0000

Gloria, but did the Pina Bausch ballet close it “just because” or was there a reason? And I think you’re right: Cruz was a Sophia Loren surrogate.

From where I stand, it appears to me that his newer films are more densely layered, but perhaps more calculatedly so. In other words, he is being more careful and deliberate in the way he constructs his stories; that’s not all bad, in my book.

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:51:04 +0000

Sam, I am jealous: I never saw it in the theater, but I’ve about worn out my DVD. (and, truthfully, it doesn’t look too bad on my 50″ Sony.

By: Gloria

Gloria — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:31:42 +0000

Having been first exposed to the imperfect -but riotous, in every sense- early films of Almodovar, I can’t help thinking that his films now may better planned, filmed and every scene and shot carefully considered before being made… But I feel he’s become too over-conscious of being “Almodovar”. His films now are more luxuriantly furnished (I’m not only referring to the expensive, “cool” furniture in teh background, but in things like having a Pina Bausch ballet closing a film just because, or the famous faces -well, famous in Spain, LOL- intently listening to “cucurrucucú paloma”), but have lost the freshness, the energy of his madly imperfect early work.

Mind you, not that I dislike them, but “Volver” being a personal favourite, I can’t help thinking that the housewife played bt Penelope Cruz is a cliché of a housewife, an elaborated recreation of a young Sophia Loren… Compare Pe with Carmen Maura’s genuinely distraught housewife in “What have I done to deserve this” and you’ll get my point.

In fact, and since I’m talking about “Volver”, I think that I liked because in the performances and characters of Carmen Maura (“Russian hairdresser” LOL) or Lola Dueñas i saw connections to his earlier films: non-glamour, down-to-earth, warmly humorous females (I don’t mention the great Chus Lampreave because she’s always there, with a lesser or bigger role)

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:22:53 +0000

Indeed Rick fabulous piece. here is what I entered at Ric’s site:

Well Rick, you have informed this marathon review with an equal dose of passion and insight!

Todd Haynes’s FAR FROM HEAVEN is my #1 film of this year, but TALK TO HER is a very close second, and it’s my favorite Almodovar of them all. My favorite sequence is the ootdoor one near the beginning with the ballad “Cucurrucucu Paloma.” It’s one of those priceless cinematic moments we all hope for but rarely receive.

I think you say it best here:

“Rather, it’s a dance of Pedro Almodóvar’s own creation, a dance of perversity, longing and desire.”

I remember seeing this eight times in the theatre, dragging along everyone I knew, and aslways finding something new.