The movie opens with a beautiful play. Two women dressed in night gowns are dancing around in an area filled with chairs. A man comes out and throws the chairs around to make room for these women to walk around freely. He's saddened, but we don't know why. These women seem almost too afraid to open their eyes, and too full of life to not move around even though there's so much in their way.
This is a perfectly suitable opening for the movie. Two women, both seemingly lifeless, a man, saddened, helping them even though they don't know it. He gets a sort of satisfaction and escape from his troubled life by helping these needy women. And we know that even if these women had their eyes open, they would never be able to love this man for who he is. "Talk to Her" is so deep and thought-provoking that every second of the movie puts some sort of spell on you.
Inside the theater, we meet Marco Zuluaga (Darío Grandinetti), an Argentenian who cries during the performance. He later meets a striking female bull-fighter and quickly jumps at the chance of writing an article about her. He follows her, helps her, keeps her company, all while suffering from his previous relationship. We then get introduced to Benigno Martín (Javier Cámara)who nurses a young woman in a coma. He explains that he's been doing it for over four years and has no desire to stop. After Marco's new love gets injured in a bull-fight and goes into a coma, she is placed in the room next to Benigno. The two men meet, comment about an encounter at the play, and in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, their stories get woven together in a strange twist of fate and destiny.
Director-writer Pedro Almodóvar's double nomination for "Talk to Her" is undoubtedly deserving. As is his win for Best Original Screenplay. He fuses together such a magnificent story of friendship, betrayal, terror and love. Marco's story both touches us and inspires us, whereas Benigno's story sends shivers down our spine. But in the end, these two still befriend each other, and even after Benigno's disturbing pull at impregnating the comatose woman, we still sense some sort of connection between the two.
A definite example of how European cinema is so important in modern life, and just how a complicated situation can turn even more complicated, "Talk to Her" is a gem in both storytelling, directing and acting. It's a movie that uses normal approaches to common situations and furthers that by going that extra mile. It shows just how far taking care of someone can go, and how people can be used even when most vulnerable.
This is a perfectly suitable opening for the movie. Two women, both seemingly lifeless, a man, saddened, helping them even though they don't know it. He gets a sort of satisfaction and escape from his troubled life by helping these needy women. And we know that even if these women had their eyes open, they would never be able to love this man for who he is. "Talk to Her" is so deep and thought-provoking that every second of the movie puts some sort of spell on you.
Inside the theater, we meet Marco Zuluaga (Darío Grandinetti), an Argentenian who cries during the performance. He later meets a striking female bull-fighter and quickly jumps at the chance of writing an article about her. He follows her, helps her, keeps her company, all while suffering from his previous relationship. We then get introduced to Benigno Martín (Javier Cámara)who nurses a young woman in a coma. He explains that he's been doing it for over four years and has no desire to stop. After Marco's new love gets injured in a bull-fight and goes into a coma, she is placed in the room next to Benigno. The two men meet, comment about an encounter at the play, and in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, their stories get woven together in a strange twist of fate and destiny.
Director-writer Pedro Almodóvar's double nomination for "Talk to Her" is undoubtedly deserving. As is his win for Best Original Screenplay. He fuses together such a magnificent story of friendship, betrayal, terror and love. Marco's story both touches us and inspires us, whereas Benigno's story sends shivers down our spine. But in the end, these two still befriend each other, and even after Benigno's disturbing pull at impregnating the comatose woman, we still sense some sort of connection between the two.
A definite example of how European cinema is so important in modern life, and just how a complicated situation can turn even more complicated, "Talk to Her" is a gem in both storytelling, directing and acting. It's a movie that uses normal approaches to common situations and furthers that by going that extra mile. It shows just how far taking care of someone can go, and how people can be used even when most vulnerable.