'Pain & Glory' - Pedro Almodovar

I don't see many films these days since there's rarely anything that grabs my attention, but a new Almodovar film is the exception. His films are funny, sad, worrying, colourful and always worth watching. His latest film stars an old collaborator in Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz as well as a cast of old memories, old boyfriends, childhood recollections and the sunlight of Spain. And a watercolour painting of a boy sitting reading.

It's the tale of the film writer and director Salvador who is crippled with pain and self-doubt who has withdrawn from the film world and rarely does anything these days. When his first big hit is re-mastered and is to be shown again he meets the former star of the star who introduces him to heroin to help with his pain. That leads to Salvador giving him permission to use the script of a story he's written about a former boyfriend in the '80s who was a heroin addict for a dramatic performance. By coincidence, the former boyfriend is visiting Madrid from South America and sees the show and gets back in touch with Salvador after 30-odd years of silence. As a result Salvador sees his doctors again to get himself sorted out and during this he is invited to a gallery opening that uses the painting of a boy reading a book on the invitation. That stirs deep memories.

It's a wonderfully constructed film, flashing back and forth through Salvador's memories. Penelope Cruz plays his impossibly beautiful mother in the flashbacks. One of my favourite scenes was when she chased after the young Salvador as a boy and the way she was running was almost exactly like they teach you not to run in Hollywood, ungainly and almost lumpen, a worried mother chasing after her upset child with no other cares. I was also very impressed by Antonio Banderas and how he played pain, not with exaggerated movements but with very careful movements when he sat or got into or out of a car, such delicate and precise movements that brought the pain to life.

The film is also a visual beauty, with rich colours and light and the colour red seemed to feature heavily, particularly in Salvador's fantastic apartment. I could happily live there. It's a great ensemble piece and an astonishing feat of storytelling. The last 30 seconds of the film, O yes, those seconds make everything clear... I won't tell you what they make clear, you'l need to see the film for yourself.