LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (2009) is a little too straight

Posted by Daniel Metz

I was fairly excited for Almodóvar’s new picture. I consider him to be the most “European Art Cinema”-type auteur still working. His most recent film, Volver, was an alright film (and a beautiful love letter to Penélope Cruz’s finer qualities), and the one before that, La mala educación was good too. Neither of these films were the masterpieces of his 1990s and 1980s work, but at least he was trying. Broken Embraces is a tough film.

At once I want to say I am both disappointed and impressed. The film is a plot-driven story about a blind man who is telling the main tale of his life, about a romance that was interfered with, to his son-figure (who turns out to actually be his son, but that is only for the sake of fooling around with melodrama/telenovela style). The story of his love is told through flashbacks, and thankfully the (obscure) object of his desire is played by the always beautiful Cruz.

Penélope Cruz as Marilyn Monroe

As a side note, let us take a moment and thank whoever it is up there that brought her to this Earth and got her into the cinema. I guess it is Pedro who really thrust her into the stardom she/we now appreciate(s), so thanks Almodóvar. We especially need to thank Bigas Luna (you newbies probably don’t know who that genius Spanish filmmaker is: look up Jamón, jamón and you won’t be sorry), who got her her first (starring) role in a film with the very young Javier Bardem (who now apparently is her hunky boyfriend). But back to Broken Embraces.

The blind director’s story is a fine love story, but I am not really sure that I am willing to care at this point. I miss the old Almodóvar, the guy who made this wonderfully campy movies about high drama and postmodern lifestyles. Instead, we have an almost Hitchcockian story of murder and creation that seems like a tad too hetero.

Is that Audrey Hepburn?

One thing I do love about this film, though, and which warms my heart as I think about it now, is how clear it is to me that Almodóvar loves Penélope Cruz. This film, aside from telling the little mystery story, is mostly about dressing Cruz up as Marilyn Monroe, as Audrey Hepburn, in garish gold jewelry, in a beautiful red coat, in sexy lingerie, nude, etc. I love seeing her, Pedro loves seeing her. Maybe we should be thankful that this cinema artist has found a muse that he can play with.

At the end of the film, however, I was struck by something. It’s been nearly a week and I still am not any closer to figuring out what it was. The film was funny, it was touching, and…I just can’t say. There’s something going on there. I guess it’s like the French used to say: a great director (read: auteur) cannot make anything but a great film, even if it isn’t good. At least I think the French said that. Maybe not.