so i did. and i realized how far i need to go.
starring penélope cruz and lola dueñas
written and directed by pedro almodóvar
viewed at the clay theater, san francisco
as with many of almodovar's films, we take a short turn into the obscure and high tail it to the bizarre. but that's a good thing, because it usually comes from a good place - in this case, the idea that you have to open your eyes to see the world you make for yourself. or at least that's what i got from the film. it wasn't obvious. i really had to work for it. but that's a good thing. i don't think finding out what a movie is about should be transparent. and, as with many of almodovar's films, it's funny and colorful and thoughtful, emotional and seductive, beautifui and poetic. and, above all, fun. penelope cruz is fantastic, but then again, she rarely isn't.
starring brad pitt, cate blanchett and loads of others
directed by alejandro gonzález iñárritu
written by guillermo arriaga
viewed at the bridge theater, san francisco
just one good deed can set off dire consequences. like in "volver", that theme wasn't obvious to me, and i love that it wasn't. like "amores perros" and "21 grams", the storytelling is unrelenting, morbid, graphic, intense and eloquent, with characters making hard choices that seem unimaginable to us. his movies don't necessarily have happy endings; in fact, i even wonder why they make the movies they do. they're never uplifting or even sheds some optimism on the human condition. still, it's marvelous storytelling and filmmaking, from acting to writing to directing to the scoring to the editing. there's not one facet of this film that you're not in awe of. at least, i was.
shit. even my reviews suck when compared to these films.
i've got some work to do.
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