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Offbeat and a bit inaccessible Jun 19, 2009
The Bottom Line:
Talk to Her is without a doubt a well-made motion picture, but it's a difficult film to approach and I felt while watching it that I was appreciating its merits without being truly involved with the storyline; I recommend it to people who typically enjoy what are considered "art films" but if that moniker scares you off then seek out another film.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A story that cleverly inspires feelings perhaps contrary to what goes on Apr 13, 2009
Pedro Almodovar's 2002 film HABLE CON ELLA is one of the film-maker's most elegant achievements. Benigno (Javier Camara) is a nurse in a Madrid hospital taking care of Alicia (Leonor Watling), a young ballerina who has lived in a coma for the last four years. Marco (Dario Grandinetti) is an Argentinian journalist who watches in horror as his torero girlfriend Lydia (Rosario Flores) falls into a coma after a bullfighting tragedy. The two men form an odd friendship, with Benigno's unwavering love for his ward contrasted with Marco's emotional turmoil. HABLE CON ELLA was the film sensation of the year that I moved to Spain, and I watched it many times then and later. After a recent viewing, I decided that I can fairly declare it to be a masterpiece.
HABLE CON ELLA succeeds on several different fronts, from strong acting by this international cast to the bold use of colors and the cinematography. But for me the most memorable are the two psychological tricks Almodovar works in the plot. He inspires such sympathy in the viewer for Benigno, a character who upon rational reflection is arguably monstrous. Then, at the close of the film, he provides what seems like a heartwarming happy ending even when tragedy has unfolded for much of the film. On my recent viewing, I was especially touched by Marco's insightful musings on love in the last flashback scene.
Almodovar's movies are often full of odd sexual twists, a fact with which this reviewer is well acquainted and quite used to. For viewers unused to the Spanish auteur, things may initially seem bizarre, but I would call on everyone who likes art cinema to give HABLE CON ELLA a chance.
Movie with a punch Feb 21, 2009
This is an absolutely enticing movie. Very European and very Almodovar, I'd say his best non-comedy movie. The storyline cannot be any more original and an ending that will leave you wanting to share the movie.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A powerful piece of work... Dec 14, 2008
In spite of being driven to the top rank of art cinema directors with his critically acclaimed sensation "About My Mother," and being unlike other directors of equivalent status who have been chosen to work within the rootless world of the international co-productions, Almodóvar has remained instilled in the rich culture of his native Spain...
In "Talk to Her" the two main protagonists are men, unusually for Almodóvar, whose films have been notable for a succession of powerful and striking female roles... Benigno is a male nurse who is employed to care for a dancer (Alicia) in a coma after a car accident... At the private clinic he meets Marco, a journalist who is in love with Lydia, a female bullfighter also in a coma after being gored by a bull... They become friends and Benigno persuades Marco that he must talk to Lydia, even if she cannot hear (therefore the title). But then we lean that the likable and amiable Benigno has raped Alicia, the woman who is in love with her...
European art cinema has a great tradition but an uncertain future in the world increasingly dominated by Hollywood... Almodóvar is an ornament of European culture which proved that the form still has much to say about the human condition and can say it with charm, elegance, and attractiveness...
 Good, but Depressing Jun 11, 2008
I love the absurdity of Almodovar films like Women on the Verge of the Nervous Breakdown. I enjoyed Volver very much; it had a cohesive plot and excellent performances, but also some of the comedy and absurdity of his previous movies. "Talk to Her" was well done, cohesive and excellently acted. I was particularly taken with the performance, in perfect Spanish, of Geraldine Chaplin. Although I enjoyed the movie and it is worth watching, it was not what I expected from Almodovar because all the characters seem to be damaged and have very sad lives. Consequently, it was depressing to me. I would rather be entertained by his films that contain absurd and humorous characters and situations.
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