Talk To Her (Pedro Almodóvar, 2002) Review

Mexican...Spanish....Mexican...Spanish...there is a difference between the two, I can assure you. So I'm back to foreign films (or just one in this case) because I just finished all my exams and I figured I would review the last film I had to talk about in my last exam (yes I do film studies...did you really expect anything else from me)...that is the only reason I'm reviewing this film and is the only reason I watched the film in the first place!

Talk to Her follows two men, Marco (Darío Grandinetti) and Benigno (Javier Cámara). Benigno is a nurse working at the local hospital who speificially cares for a comatose girl name Alicia (Leonor Watling). Marco is a writer who finds himself wanting to help a famous bullfighter named Lydia (Rosario Flores). Marco and Lydia build a relationship which ends in tragedy when Lydia is put in a coma after a bullfight. Marco meets Benigno at the hospital and slowly become friends. Benigno's connection to Alicia may put him in jeopardy to which Marco tries to save. 

Now I could tell you all about the auteur style and how Almodovar applies this to the film in order to make it clear that this is an Almodovar film (don't expect to see more of his films here any time soon) but I won't draw upon it for too long. To be honest, knowing that this is a melodrama actually makes the film even better considering that you gain a much better understanding of the film considering that the use of a melodrama allows for a lot of coincidences which means that you will have to suspend your disbelief to like the film...and there is a lot to like.

The narrative is fresh and well written, the acting is good and leads to quite a good resolution. My main complaint is that this is definitely...awkward. I wouldn't recommend this to people if you have company...things get interesting...and I just glanced over at the DVD case and saw that it's a 15...not sure if that is completely correct (one scene in particular is very very awkward). It's the tone of the film that makes me feel a little bit weird.

Talk to Her is a good place to start if you wish to get into Almodovar's films. There is good acting, writing and a great narrative however the tone of the film is...interesting. Make sure you watch this when no one else is around. Right, we haven't done an animated film in a while so I guess we ought to do that next....soooo...The LEGO Movie got a trailer now....that looks interesting...okay I'm just padding because I'm done. Goodnight.

Verdict:
8/10
Some good acting, writing and great narrative that makes for one of Almodovar's best and most accessible films.