Director Pedro Almodovar has been directing feature films
since 1978. A darling of the foreign film crowd it was his film WOMEN ON THE
VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN that gained him notice. It also introduced the
world to a young actor by the name of Antonio Banderas. Since then his career
has been stellar so it only seems natural that his latest film features
Banderas and was nominated for best foreign film last year.
PAIN AND GLORY tells the story of an aging gay director
Salvador Mallo (Banderas) through various vignettes that look back on his life
and in the present. Plagued by ailments both physical and mental, Mallo is
unable to write of finish anything he starts at present. A theater is about to
screen a restoration of his most popular early film FLAVOR and has asked him to
be at the screening along with the star of the film Alberto Crespo (Asier
Etxeandia).
Easier said than done since the two haven’t spoken in 32
years since the ending of the film shoot. Mallo was upset by Crespo’s use of
heroin during the shooting of the film. He goes to meet with him and as the
pair reflect on the film, Crespo introduces Mallo to smoking heroin. It eases
his pain and allows his mind to wander and reflect on his past.
Mallo’s past mainly tend to focus on his childhood and when
he and his mother went to live with his father in a town where the only housing
they could find were underground in, for lack of a better word, caves. His
mother Jacinta (Penelope Cruz) dotes on him and makes the best of their
situation. While there a laborer named Eduardo who helps whitewash the inside
of the cave is taught to read and write by young Mallo. In return Eduardo draws
a picture of the young Mallo.
As Mallo and Crespo work together Crespo comes across a
short story Mallo has written. He convinces him to allow him to perform the
story as a spoken word performance in public. The play is a hit and during one
of the performances Mallo’s first young lover sees a performance and realizes
the story is also his. He visits Mallo after and tells him about his life
after.
All of this interaction after so much time alone, so much
wallowing in self-pity and physical pain has an effect on Mallo. The question
becomes will it be enough to bring him out of his creative slump? Will he ever
make another film again? Will he become an addict?
Surprisingly I’ve never had the opportunity to see a film by
Almodovar before. I’ve wanted to but the chance was never there. This being my
first film of his to see I have to say I’d love to see more. His craft is
clearly visible here, his ability to tell a story that captures the viewer and
holds your interest throughout. One has to wonder how many similarities there
are between the story and his real life while watching though.
Banderas has long been a favorite actor of mine. He’s been
able to play so many roles with skill be they in blockbuster films or low
budget productions. Sadly he’s been getting more roles like that but in each,
like the film BLACK BUTTERFLY, his abilities exceed the material and he makes
those films just a little bit better than they were. His performance here is
substantial and not an easy one to play. The character of Mallo doesn’t offer
any hysterics but is subtle in almost every way. Banderas plays him that way,
with soft movements and behaviors that carry the weight of the character in a
good way.
Sadly there are too few people in the US today who are
willing to sit through a movie with subtitles and enjoy what they are watching.
I say sadly because by ignoring or being unwilling to watch foreign films you
lose the perspective of what the rest of the world is like through the eyes of
filmmakers from around the world. You also miss the opportunity to watch some
truly great movies.
With the release of films like this on disc it makes seeing
those films so much easier. You can stop if you get lost. You can pause and
reflect on what you see. Most importantly you have the chance to see these
movies which many theaters are unwilling to show. If you’re willing to take the
risk then by all means give PAIN AND GLORY a view. It was a unique experience
and a good movie worth being seen.
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