Almodovar and Rossini

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Last night weÂ´ve been to the theatre, to enjoy AlmodovarÂ´s last (by now): "La Mala EducaciÃ³n" ("Wrong Bring Up"), and I must say that he continues growing, while still not being fully mature.
To put it shortly, a most interesting film, with good actors, good photography, a somewhat irregular script with very good highs and some lows, and deeply personal, Almodovarish.
And, as is becoming usual in his films, the soundtrack is very good, with a shocking version of "Torna a Sorrento" sung by a white voice, and then a most welcome use of the "Kyrie" in RossiniÂ´s masterwork, his "Petite Messe Solennelle", which later will appear once more, now transformed, to underline the atmosphere of whatÂ´s happening on screen.
To my taste, this film, and most of AlmodovarÂ´s production, would gain a lot by a wise use of ellipsis, as he so frequently is a bit too explicit, thus keeping the viewer clearly at one side of the screen, not inviting him to participate and to contribute in the creation of the whole work... but itÂ´s a good film indeed, which grows bigger once projection ends, and you start reviewing it inside your mind: itÂ´s sad, bordering on tragic, while never melodramatic, with interesting, deliberately ambiguous, characters, who gain weight and get a more clear profile as film goes on.
It is not just a film about the nasties of Catholic education, as some people have thought -and even written in some papers. It is about that, but then itÂ´s much more, as it doesnÂ´t simply show how the bad priest hawks his prey, a child whose voice is still unaffected by the change puberty brings: it goes further, as it retakes that story several years later, to show us how they have evolved, and what happens between them, under the new conditions their lives have brought on them.
It is well weaved, and characters are well structured, with flesh and blood in them..., and, had Almodovar tamed his own horses, it would have been even better than "Talk to Her", as it is a more complex film, with a strong story and good characters. Anyhow, it is still very good, even with its flaws: recomended viewing.
Regards
BF

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Topic - Almodovar and Rossini - orejones 10:32:58 03/24/04 (0)

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