We recall the most striking film works of the cult director, in which his main muse, the incomparable Penelope Cruz, shines.
Spaniard Pedro Almodóvar is considered one of the most talented and bright directors of our time, who creates deep and subtle films. He doesn’t just shoot beautiful stories, through the images of his heroes he reveals the essence of human nature – reveals our hidden fears, desires and subconscious motives for actions. The director is not afraid to speak openly about topics that have long remained taboo. Shows the underside of life without embellishment. And, perhaps, one of the distinguishing features of his works is the amazing “aftertaste”. For at least a few more days after watching another Almodóvar film, you can catch yourself thinking that you are returning again and again to the episodes of the film, rethinking their essence.
Many directors have their own muses. If we talk about Pedro Almodovar, he is undoubtedly inspired by the talent and beauty of his compatriot Penelope Cruz. Proof of this is the director’s 6 full-length works (and 1 short film), in which this temperamental actress with expressive appearance starred. In an interview, Penelope Cruz admitted that Pedro Almodóvar was the idol of her youth, and she always wanted to act with him. “Everyone close to me knew about it,” she said. “And when he finally called, I was in the shower. Someone told me that Almodóvar was calling, but I took it as a joke and didn’t even go to the phone.” However, the collaboration eventually took place – and it turned out to be very fruitful for both the director himself and the actress. Their joint films were awarded more than a dozen nominations for the most prestigious film awards in the world.
“Penelope is one of the most beautiful women of modern cinema,” says famous director Pedro Almodóvar. “Looking at her is one of the greatest pleasures in the world.”
Pain and Glory (2019)
The director sought inspiration for Pedro Almodóvar’s latest work from his own experiences and reflections on life. The main character, like Almodóvar himself, is a director who, at the end of his career, is experiencing a creative crisis. He plunges into memories and tries to regain ground under his feet – to understand why his fate turned out this way. In the past, the main character had several women, each of whom left their mark on his life. The director’s mother in her youth is played by Penelope Cruz.
Volver (2006)
Some consider this film to be a kind of “ode to women.” The plot centers on the fate of Raimunda, a strong and courageous Spanish woman who is used to solving her problems on her own. Men in “The Return” play only a supporting role, and the director pays especially close attention to the relationships between representatives of the fair half of humanity and the conflict of generations in the family. The film has everything: Spanish passions, family dramas, secrets and even murders. But the most important decoration of the film was Penelope Cruz. It’s not for nothing that critics called her performance of Raimunda “a woman whose soul has no fewer shades than autumn leaves.”
Broken Embraces (2009)
The film is based on a tragic story told by a screenwriter who, 14 years ago, lost his sight and the great love of his life in a car accident. After the death of his beloved, he himself seems to die from the inside. Penelope Cruz plays the very girl from whom the man lost his head. A girl with a difficult fate. She is forced to be the mistress and part-time secretary of a rich and elderly businessman, help her dying father, try to be a good daughter and strive for a cherished but elusive goal – to act in films. But a meeting with the main character turns her life upside down. This is a sad story about how even the strongest feelings cannot withstand the vicissitudes of fate and all we have left are only memories.
All About My Mother (1999)
This picture brought Pedro Almodovar his first Oscar and a whole bunch of other prestigious awards – from the Golden Globe to the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In the film, a woman named Manuela (played by another of the director’s favorites, Cecilia Roth) returns to her hometown after a terrible accident in which her son died. Penelope Cruz embodied the role of the young and sensible girl Rosa on the screen. What is this picture about? Perhaps, about the fantastic strength of women and their ability to find light in life, despite all the sorrows that befall their heads.
Live Flesh (1997)
Passion, love, thirst for revenge and murder motivated by jealousy – this is one of the most dynamic and vibrant works of Pedro Almodóvar, which was released more than 20 years ago. The very young Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz on screen provide a special aesthetic pleasure. The film begins with the hero, rejected by his lover, accidentally injuring a policeman, for which he ends up in prison. After his release, he discovers that the same law enforcement officer who sent him several years behind bars has not only become a successful basketball player, but also married his ex-girlfriend. He sees only one way out of the situation – to take revenge. You will find out what outcome this tangled tangle of intrigue will lead to by watching the film to the end.
I’m So Excited! (2013)
Almodovar’s favorite actors, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, appear in this film only in cameo roles, but it is thanks to their characters that the crew of the plane gets into trouble, as a result of which the aircraft begins to fall. However, the genre of the film is not a drama at all, as clearly evidenced by the slogan: “Everything is fine! We’re falling…” Having discovered that the plane is faulty, its passengers at first panic, but the situation is “saved” by the Valencia cocktail, under the influence of which the future ceases to seem so scary. If there is not much time left, why waste it on pointless suffering? And the company was a cheerful one – a former porn star, a clairvoyant, newlyweds, a killer, a thief and, of course, a crew almost entirely consisting of men of non-traditional sexual orientation.