Harry here, conciousness is drifting, but as I'm reading these reviews, I'm struck by the notion that these are all great future movies for us. The jewels from abroad are beginning to shine... I love this time of the year... when the loud and obvious gives way to the subtle and sublime. But even with the smiles something like Janet Leigh passing away just ruins it. Sigh. I'm too tired to write a proper obit, I'll do that later today, if I finish that DVD column. As for Almodovar's latest... are you kidding me, the man is a genius that nails it time and time again. Did I tell y'all that I recently played a topless wet scene with Gael Garcia Bernal?
Hey, you movie freaks,
Today I was at a screening of Pedro Almodovar's latest masterpiece "La Mala Education" (international English title: "Bad Education") starring Gael Garcia Bernal!!!!
Before going to the cinema, I watched Almodovar's first international success "Todo sobre mi madre" ("All About My Mother") for the third time. In my opinion, he is the best European director ever, and I know many European directors because I live in Austria. He has his special way to direct movies and to write great screenplays.
I was so exciting before going to the cinema, because already one year ago, when I heard that GARCIA BERNAL and ALMODOVAR are making a film together, I knew that it will be great, no matter about which topic it is.
Here is what I have to say to "La Mala Education":
(not many spoilers below!)
The film starts with very exciting music in the backround. I heard many people say: "Oh, yes" or "Yes, Yes, Yes!", or something like that when they saw the name "ALMODOVAR" on the screen. We people in Austria are in general big fans of Pedro, because he knows how to direct and European film AND to have international success.
The film is very complicated, but that's not the only reason why I don't want to put too many spoilers in this review. There are so many great surprises and the end is very moving.
But I'll try to give you some general informations about the plot:
The story is about a young man called Juan (Gael Garcia Bernal, who also plays some other roles in this film - but If I mention which ones, it would be already big spoilers!), who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest (Great: Daniel Gimenez Cacho!) in his former school. Juan, who gets gay after having sex with the priest, falls in love with his best friend Enrique (Fele Martinez).
The rest of the story is too complicated and too unexpected. I don't want to say you guys out there everything about it.
But in a summary: Great screenplay (also by Almodovar), amazing story!
Almodovar gives his lates movie his own, private directional touch, but I think that he did a little bit better in work in his former movies "All about my mother" and especially "Talk to Her"!
But: The direction is still great and the whole film is an European masterpiece!
The cinematography (by the amazing Jose Luis Aclaine) is very good, maybe the best of all Almodovar films. The art direction (by Antxon Gomez, who was also the art director for "Talk to Her" and "All about my mother"!) is great, as well as the set decoration, but the best technical fact about the film is the oscar-worthy editing! It is edited in a very special, complicated way. Jose Salcedo (the editor of "Talk to Her") does an amazing job and he really deserves an Oscar for this work. It is a fast, but at the same time a slow editing. I don't know how to explain it, you really have to see this film editing by yourself!
The Actors, the actors!
Gael Garcia Bernal's best year was 2002 with "Y tu mama Tambien" ("And Your Mother Too" - Oscar-Nod for best screenplay!) and "El Crimen del padre Amaro" ("The Crime of father Amaro" - Oscar-Nod for best Foreign Film!).
But I think that he is even going to top 2002 with 2004!
He is great in "La Mala Education" and simply gives an unique performance. He plays not only Juan, but also... I can't say it. You simply have to see it by yourself!
He is really fantastic in this film and he would be a sure bet at the next Oscars, if he wouldn't also have "The Motorcylce Diaries" (directed by Walter Salles) this year, so I think that the votes for those films will split up.
But back to the performance: He plays a gay man, who was sexually abused in his childhood, and he simply never exagerates. The audience can see, that he is not one of those American method-actors, who always exagerate too much.
And there's the great Fele Martinez (he has a small supporting role in Almodovar's "Talk to Her"!), who plays Enrique. He is really very good, but he has no chance against Garica Bernal!
The priest, who abuses Juan, is played by Daniel Gimenez Cacho, a Spanish acting legend. He gives a great performance, and is nearly as good as Gael Garcia Bernal.
The cold, but very good music, is composed by Pedro Almodovar's favourite composer Alberto Iglesias. He is one of the big European movie composers and I think that his Oscar is coming in the next few years. You'll see guys, you'll see...
Well, what else can I say about "La Mala Education" without giving too many spoilers? The only negative thing about this film is, that the end is good, but too simple. And the whole story sometimes gets too complicated, because it plays in four different times. I can't explain it without using spoilers. Watch the film by yourself!
My general opinion: A great Almodovar film, which is (nearly) a masterpiece and which absolutely deserves oscar nods for Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography and maybe even directing (hey, AMPAS has nominated him for "Talk to Her"!).
I give it... let's say 8/10 stars.
That's all on that.
the movie slave
