Pedro Almodovar

Masters of Cinema

by Thomas Sotinel

Pedro Almodovar (Spain, b. 1951) single-handedly represents the revival of Spanish cinema as part of the cultural flowering of the Movida Madrilena in the 1980s. New York was first to hail the unbridled imagination of this provocative director, whose films are filled with transsexuals, neurotics ("Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", 1988) and even drug-addicted nuns ("The Law of Desire", 1987). In his maturity, Almodovar has continued to draw inspiration from his underprivileged childhood in a remote corner of La Mancha, making melodramas bursting with heightened passions expressed by unforgettable actors such as enelope Cruz ("All About My Mother", 1999; and "Broken Embraces", 2009) and Gael Garcia Bernal ("Bad Education", 2004).

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe because my dreams are melodramas, my colors are bright, and my eyes are dark, my cinematic home was in Almodovar's universe, as soon as I knew it existed. Here is a lovely, full-color history of its creation, with enough just enough detail to hint at the magnificent scope future biographers will enjoy.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible and very readable way-in to the biography and filmography of one of my favourite directors. No complex academic terminology or theoretical readings, just a steady but informative intro to the director’s oeuvre, the stories of the production and Pedro’s background, complete with stunning colour photo stills from the films.

Sadly, because of the publication date, this edition only goes as far as Broken Embraces (2009), and I’d like to see an updated version that covers films like The Skin I Live In, I’m So Excited and Julieta. Still, this is a well-paced introduction and one I’ll refer back to as I’m working my way through Almodovar’s back catalogue. It’s also made me want a lot of the other books in the Masters of Cinema series.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Him Even More 😍

[Diego F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buenas fotografias.

[Vonne Patiag · Rating 4 out of 5]

save me Almodovar!

[Juan Espinoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Para ser una publicación preparada por Cahiers du Cinema está bastante simplona, esperaba un poco más de profundidad en la relectura de las películas de Almodóvar, pero supongo que también funciona para los no-iniciados en el trabajo del director.

[Luke Devenish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Encompassing without being exhaustive.