All About My Mother (1999)

This film got my attention right away because of the references to 2 of my fave old Hollywood films : All About Eve and Streetcar Named Desire. Melodramatic with a lil comedy. My fave scene when all 4 ladies were at the couch just chatting and laughing. I love all the characters (maybe not Nina). Agrado…for the win! Penelope…what a beautiful nun, so sad about her situation though. Huma, at first kinda off (as she didn’t give the autograph to the son) but as the movie went on, I liked her character more and more. And Cecilia, very empowering. At first, the other characters were supposed to be helping the mother but in the end, she was the one who helped all of them, in a way. Feel good dramatic film.

Of course, it's an Almodovar, so it's already a great film. But this one - the artistic shots, the characters, the story, the humanity - all top notch. I think this film might be his best.

When a tragedy occurs that profoundly impacts on “Manuela” (Cecilia Roth) she heads back to her old home in Barcelona to reunite with her estranged transgender husband (Toni Cantó) and share her bad news. Her arrival in the city sees her reconnect with her transvestite pal “Agrado” (the outstanding Antonio San Juan) and that’s the start of her enjoyably characterful journey through the city where her innate kindliness also sees encounters with many of the quirkiest of it’s residents - including “Sister Rosa” (Penélope Cruz) who happens to be a pregnant nun - and you’ll never guess who the father is! There’s also a struggling actress “Huma” (Marisa Paredes) who is having the wobbles ahead of a performance of “A Streetcar Named Desire” as well as some troubles with her younger pal “Nina” (Candela Peña) whose habit is starting to get a bit out of control. If you look at the all of the ingredients here, it can seem a little contrived but the combination of a forceful and powerful effort from Roth and some creative flair from an on-form Pedro Almodóvar manages to create a series of scenarios that flow effortlessly from the seemingly sublime to the ridiculous whilst raising a few smiles along the way and dealing with some serious topics, like Alzheimer’s, grief and identity issues along the way. The photography is intimate and almost as mischievous as the writing that makes a series of points succinctly yet without ever becoming sentimental or sanctimonious. Team Almodóvar at it’s best, here.

When a tragedy occurs that profoundly impacts on “Manuela” (Cecilia Roth) she heads back to her old home in Barcelona to reunite with her estranged transgender husband (Toni Cantó) and share her bad news. Her arrival in the city sees her reconnect with her transvestite pal “Agrado” (the outstanding Antonio San Juan) and that’s the start of her enjoyably characterful journey through the city where her innate kindliness also seen encounters with many of the quirkiest of its residents - including “Sister Rosa” (Penélope Cruz) who happens to be a pregnant nun - and you’ll never guess who the father is! There’s also a struggling actress “Huma” (Marisa Paredes) who is having the wobbles ahead of a performance of “A Streetcar Named Desire” as well as some troubles with her younger pal “Nina” (Candela Peña) whose habit is starting to get a bit out of control. If you look at the all the ingredients here, it can seem a little contrived but the combination of a forceful and powerful effort from Roth and some creative flair from an on-form Pedro Almodóvar manages to create a series of scenarios that flow effortlessly from the seemingly sublime to the ridiculous whilst raising a few smiles along the way whilst dealing with some serious topics, like Alzheimer’s, grief and identity along the way. The photography is intimate and almost as mischievous as the writing that makes a series of points succinctly yet without ever becoming sentimental or sanctimonious. Team Almodóvar at it’s best, here.