Pain and Glory (2019)

A perfect use of light combined with his usual outstanding set design has allowed Almodóvar to continue achieving a lush and honest colour rendition, faithful to his roots, that most directors already lost in this age of post-production tampering dependence. It's clearly the most beautiful and compelling cinematography I've seen this year - a real pleasure to watch, capable of relieving our mind from all the visual noise that invades us frequently. The script seems almost autobiographical, which is especially appealing to the followers of his work. Also surprisingly memorable is the flawless performance of Antonio Banderas.

Fmovies: Es una historia tan profunda y tan cercana al autor que es imposible no emocionarte.

Less bombastic than some of his previous work (which I also love, by the way), this bittersweet film shows the maturity of a director that's been around and seen it all, someone who's experienced both pain and glory and is asking himself what's next in life. In this partly autobiographical narrative, his most personal so far, Almodovar expresses some frustration with aging and with loneliness, but also his appreciation for the path that he's had the privilege to make for himself and continues to work on, and the people who are important to him. He succeeds in exploring nostalgia without succumbing to sappiness. If anything, Almodovar's senses and craft are sharper than ever. He's able to be critical and loving at the same time. I like how has evolved through the decades and that he keeps experimenting with different styles of storytelling. Antonio Banderas' award-worthy performance as the director's alter ego is understated, yet bold. Almodovar said in an interview that the choice was obvious, as Banderas is to him what Marcello Mastroianni was to Federico Fellini. And indeed there are some similarities between this film and '8 1/2': both films deal with the creative process. But whereas Fellini approaches the topic as a gladiator confronting obstacles with whip in hand, Almodovar is more low key and seems to point to tenderness as his weapon of choice.

Pain and Glory fmovies. (Antonio Banderas won Best Actor award at the Cannes festival because he played Almodóvar).

I know there are tons of autobiographical films about a painful past and unfinished business (in Hollywood), but Almodóvar reflects his own past very well.

Almodóvar's "Pain and Glory" is very beautifully shot and well-described autobiographical film about emptiness, recollection of the past and most importantly, about salvation. The film also describes well pain, sadness, self discovery, forgiveness, regret, all these feelings that the director is going through.

Without spoiling anything, the story is about a known Spanish director, Salvador Mallo, who reflects his choices made in his life (from his childhood to his cinema career) as past and present come crashing around him.

Almodóvar wanted to represent his life and memories from his life, bathred boundless desire to live and love that guide us to forgiveness with oneself and others. He's entering the stage where he's no longer have inspiration, but he uses his life as a cinema fiction. Almodóvar reflects mostly to his past as something painful and unfinished. Only with the return of ourselves, with coping with the painful past, we have the possibility to rehabilitate ourselves. As I mentioned, Antonio gives a great performance as a reconstructed fella with a passion.

I think whoever watched Almodóvar's previous pieces would enjoy from his new personal film about a person's valuable soul.

I can see why this film will not please everyone but I think people of a certain age & long time fans of Almodovor will find much to appreciate in this mature work. Antonia Banderas gives an Oscar worthy performance & is worth the ticket price alone. On the surface not a lot of drama happens but on a deeper level this film examines grief, mortality, ageing, regret, religion , sexuality & much more. It's a film that you will be thinking about long after it has finished.

La película más limpia e intensa de Almodovar casi me rompe el corazón.