Los abrazos rotos (2009)

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar (writer)

Release Date:

18 March 2009 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie. |

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Prostitute | Film Set | Video Camera | Homosexual

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Penélope Cruz	...	Lena
Lluís Homar	...	Mateo Blanco / Harry Caine
Blanca Portillo	...	Judit García
José Luis Gómez	...	Ernesto Martel
Rubén Ochandiano	...	Ray X
Tamar Novas	...	Diego
Ángela Molina	...	Madre de Lena (Lena's Mother)
Chus Lampreave	...	Portera (Concierge)
Kiti Manver	...	Madame Mylene
Lola Dueñas	...	Lectora de labios (Lip Reader)
Mariola Fuentes	...	Edurne
Carmen Machi	...	Chon
Kira Miró	...	Model
Rossy de Palma	...	Julieta
Alejo Sauras	...	Álex

Also Known As:

Broken Embraces (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Broken Hugs (USA) (literal English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:15A | USA:R (certificate #45474) | Argentina:16 | New Zealand:M | France:U | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-11 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Japan:PG12 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

The film within a film 'Girls And Suitcases' is loosely based on Pedro Almodóvar's own film Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988). 'Rosie De Palme' appears in both, although in different roles.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the movie goes back to 1992, Ernesto Martel speaks from his office about getting a contract to build Caracas' Metro. This Metro was built more than 10 years earlier than that.

Movie Connections:

Features Viaggio in Italia (1954)

Soundtrack:

Werewolf

Spain's finest export strikes again

Pedro's back and Madrid has gone wild. With the release of his 17th feature film, "Los Abrazos Rotos" (Broken Embraces) Almodovár tells the tale of a blind film director (Lluis Omar) and how he came to lose not only his sight, but also the love of his life (Penelope Cruz). The film is by no means a departure from the Spaniard's typical traits, with the picture employing the usual Almodóvar fodder – love, lies, tears, melodrama, comedy - to great effect. The film journeys between the past and the present, and interweaves diverse stories and viewpoints, to construct a fascinating drama full of twists and turns. The acting is terrific and there are many 'in-jokes' involving subtle references to previous Almodóvar films, with the picture rounded off nicely by a soundtrack produced by the ever-brilliant Alberto Iglesias (featuring original music alongside tracks by Uffie, Cat Power and Can).

My only gripe would be the film's length, clocking up over 2 hours – a factor which is noticeable given that the film's storyline does seem to run out of steam after the 90-minute mark. But that minor complaint should not detract from the fact that Almodóvar has demonstrated himself to be one of the most individual and consistent film-makers in modern cinema. It must be said that 'Los Abrazos Rotos' is not the tour-de-force that some fans may have hoped for and falls short of eclipsing what in my opinion was his career high – Hable Con Ella (Talk to Her). Nevertheless, Almodóvar delivers a very engaging film which is sure to become another hit, and will no doubt earn more accolades for the man who can deservedly call himself Spain's most successful film-maker of all time.