http://www.worldofkj.com/reviews/Schade ... cation.php

Enjoy.

I did raise my grade to a B. Hopefully my thought are properly expressed within.

I remember I had some minor problems with Bad Education...it's been a while...but I think it had to do with the characters' actions and what motivated them to do certain things.

But I do remember overall I thought it was very well done and the dark mood in the film was perfect. All About My Mother was a bit melodramatic, yes...but I don't think that always has to be a bad thing. I loved it and is my favorite Almodovar film (amon the ones I've seen). I couldn't get into Talk to Her at all though. So that was a dissapointment.

I guess if I have enough free time I might check out Nine Queens and some earlier Almodovar films to join in on the discussion.

2 pages!!!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had problems with Bad Education. I had a hard time with that review and ended up raising my grade a bit.

Apparently you were sketchy on the details, too. It's "La Visita" . I know this because I'm way too big of a fan of the film. I've got some free time tonight so I think I'll try and put together a semi-official review. When I write, I sort of get into it so my papers tend to take a while.... heh. We'll see if I finish.

Rod, the goal is five pages! I really hope to see you when we watch Nine Queens. Looks like a great action ride, with (hopefully) interesting human commentary ala Walk on Water.

I was basing my information on IMDB which had the original name of the film as "Las Visitas"...

I'm not sure what I'll get to this weekend but I'll definately try to catch something new this weekend...

You can't trust IMDb. That would make for an interesting name, but, ya - it is definitely La Visita. Given the narrative structure (the series of stories within stories) it isn't a half bad title, but I prefer the raucousness of La Mala Educaccion.

Thanks for the review. You make some great, perfectly valid points. I'm not sure if I want to focus on challenging your points, because I agree for the most part. I do think that the story has a point... like my favorite dramas, it isn't necessarily about getting the plot across but more about exploiting the fetishes, lifestyles, and perspectives of characters. Bad Education excels in part because the characters are so unique. Of course, there are other dramas "without a point" such as the Three Color trilogy and The Sweet Hereafter that are definitely not plot driven but character driven. I actually tend to prefer these types of films, and accompanied with a wonderful score from Alberto Iglesias (which I proudly paid top dollar for at Borders), fantastic art direction and cinematography (lush and exciting - at times, literally) I can't help but name it one of the top pictures to be released in quite some time.

Hmm, interesting note - the three films I've mentioned are all foreign pictures (Bad Education from Spain, Sweet Hereafter - Canada, Three Colors - France/Switzerland/Poland/etc, heh). Interesting that the pictures that receive the least amount of attention are often the ones with the most "human" of stories. The films I mentioned above were received critically and financially very well abroad, yet failed to become a force such as a more plot-driven "classic" like Se7en. I find it interesting comparing the success of *types* of films in different markets and sometimes wonder if that speaks about the type of cultures producing said films... both domestic and abroad.

/Rambling.

I'm missing a lot more information then I was hoping for, but, since we are on the topic of Almodovar to begin with:
[table][row]11/19/2004[col]La Mala education (Bad Education)[col]$147,370[col]3[col]$49,123[col]$5,211,842 [col]106 Theaters[col] $40,261,665 [row]11/22/2002[col]Talk to Her[col]$104,396[col]2[col]$52,198[col]$9,285,469[col]255 Theaters[col]$51,001,550 [row]11/5/1999[col]Todo sobre mi madre (All about my mother)[col]$50,362[col]4[col]$12,591[col]$8,264,530 [col]145 Theaters[col]$67,964,530 [row]1/16/1998[col]Live Flesh[col]$59,558 [col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$1,535,558 [col]n/a[col]n/a[row]3/8/1996[col]Flower of my Secret[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$653,723 [col]n/a[col]n/a[row]1/1/1994[col]Kika[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$2,093,000 [col]n/a[col]n/a[row]12/20/1991[col]High Heels[col]$137,808 [col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$1,530,941 [col]n/a[col]n/a[row]5/1/1990[col]Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down![col]n/a[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$4,087,000 [col]n/a[col]n/a[row]11/11/1988[col]Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$7,179,000 [col]n/a[col]n/a[row]1/1/1986[col]Matador[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]n/a[col]$206,952 [col]n/a[col]n/a[/table]

I need to get my Netflix account reactivated. I'll spare the world of a diatribe, but basically, I've had the same films since July. I've missed, in the process of paying for nothing, Nights of Cabiria. Dolce is still holding a grudge, no doubt, and is actually scheming to off my head this Halloween. In the mean time, I'm sending the pictures back in exchange for Flower of My Secret and Nine Queens!

I've only seen his most recent films. I know for sure Live Flesh (which you wanted to catch, I think?) and Flower of My Secret are available on Netflix. The rest I haven't had much luck finding, especially Atamé [(Tie me up, tie me down) My favorite film title, I think... tied with Sweet Hereafter]. The earlier works are harder to find stateside.

EDIT - One final note before I go off the consider a Bad Education review - if anyone is familiar with the Bad Education soundtrack, there is a great track that plays in the first act, when Enrique and Angel are driving home from a night out called Cuore Matto. Great song. I'm familiar enough with it to know it has been re-recorded a dozen times over, but I love this version. The beat is wonderful, reminiscent of Johnny Cash, and the lyrics perfectly fitting of the film. It can be hard to seamlessly insert a song into the middle of a dark, almost threatening score like this and succeed so wonderfully. Great choices by Almodovar and Iglesias, truly setting the tone for the picture.

If anyone feels like enjoying the samples on Amazon, you'll recognize "Por mi grandisima culpa" and "La piscina" as the great tracks from the score.

Well, I do like plot development, and yes the direction was superb at times, during other times it just felt a bit...akward. I did forget to mention the score which was utterly fantastic.

And in response to the rest of your post, I do think perhaps you are reading a bit too far into it. American audiences are less appreciative of foreign films yes but that is because foreign films are not a greater part of our culture. Many countriese do not have such a massive film production business so while cinema is internationl there are not enough local films so Hollywood films tend to get larger revenue. Am I making sense?

Yeah, I had wanted to catch Live Flesh at the Almodovar festival but only managed to catch La Mala Education. Oh well.

Oh, yes. It makes perfect sense. But for whatever reason, the intimate character films that usually get passed over here (even those that are domestically produced) are much more successful (per capita, at least) abroad. To generalize, perhaps Americans simply prefer lighter entertainment. I'm not sure it is a bad thing, but sort of how I perceive American audiences to be. Just tossing it out there to see if anyone baits.

On the other hand, Volver will become Almodovar's biggest success here, probably with a (measly) $10m gross. This is, of course, due to the subject matter, which is much more accessible than that of Bad Education (molestation and drag queens abound!), Talk to Her (heh), or even All About My Mother (note the continued presence of transsexuals). It doesn't surprise me in the least that his work is passed over to a large degree by most.

Is Viva Pedro over? That'd be a shame, as you had the chance to see some films that you can't even find on R1 DVD.

Yeah, I didn't even realize it was playing until it was a week from ending. I was dissapointed and then my schedule got really hectic and I wasn't able to catch any more.

Promise not to diss this. This might be my first time *reviewing* a film. Putting thoughts to paper is certainly difficult the first time, though I try my best to balance summary and commentary. A few revisions might help, but since this is more for this intimate group than an actual published review, it should work. As always, I'd love for you to comment, but please spare me from a lashing over my not-so-perfected review format.



LA MALA EDUCACION
dir. by PEDRO ALMODOVAR
2004


Warning: Spoilers!


Bad Education (La Mala Educacion) is perhaps Almodovar’s darkest entry, a noir thriller where nothing is where it seems. Presented as a series of stories within stories, Bad Education explores the lives on Enrique (Fele Martinez) and Juan (Gael Garcia Bernal), the former a director and the latter an actor who were separated at childhood by a selfish priest, Father Manolo (Luis Homar and Daniel Gimenez Cacho). Of course, Almodovar manages to spice things up with the inclusion of hilarious characters such as Paquito (Javier Camara). Along with a brilliant score from Alberto Iglesias and cinematography from (Jose Luis Alcaine, who should have been awarded the Oscar if only for the pool scene featuring Martinez and Bernal), Almodovar molds multiple stories into a dark noir thriller that manages to be poignant yet decidedly humorous. Bad Education is a wonderfully treat, not to be missed.

The film, principally set in a flashy Madrid of the 1980s, opens with a fantastic montage, set to clippings covering the major themes of the film – Christianity, molestation, drug use, homosexuality, and, of course, gender dysphoria. Set to a sharp, haunting score from Iglesias, it perfectly sets the tone for this twisted masterpiece. The first story in a series of storylines in the film involves a matured director, Enrique, who is met by Juan, his childhood love, who comes with a script dramatically retelling their childhood. Juan, of course, seems a bit different – he insists on being called Angel and avoids discussion of their childhood. Almodovar, the master of multiple storylines, is of course foreshadowing later events in the film. Enrique manages to avoid reflection on this, instead preferring to relish in the moment. He agrees to direct a film that is based on the story, “La Visita”, if only to draw the attention of Juan.

The film continues, shifting between the tedious relationship between adults Enrique and Juan and the fictional retelling of their story, which is presented through the eyes of Zahara. Perhaps the most raucous character in the film, Zahara is a transvestite (played superbly by Bernal) who attempts to blackmail Father Monolo (played here by Gimenez). Accompanied by Paquito, this “film within a film” is perhaps the most humorous and serves as a platform for exploring the pasts of Enrique and Juan. Reminiscing, Zahara recalls the story of their childhood – from the longing glances, choir practice, the series of molestations by Father Monolo, and their separation – through the use of a brilliant score and wonderful imagery. Filled with symbolism, this series explores the brief encounters Enrique and Juan shared that molded them into their present selves and offers no doubt controversial, but interesting, commentary on the church and molestation as it perhaps defines sexuality. The character of Zahara is, without a doubt, the highlight of this series of retellings, both sassy and bitter, in a role that should have won Bernal an Academy Award nomination at least. The ultimate femme fatale, the Sara Montiel-singing Zahara is both whimsical and calculating, a worthy showpiece for the production.

Of course, the story becomes increasingly complicated as Almodovar introduces Enrique to Juan’s family. Through a series of chance findings, Enrique happens upon Juan’s hometown, only to discover that Ignacio isn’t who he says he is; he is in fact Juan, Ignacio’s brother. Martinez shines during this act, startled and disappointed by his foolishness. Ignacio, we discover, was in fact killed. Juan, shattered, destroyed what little his brother left behind. Enrique keeps this to himself, and only manages to learn the full truth when an embittered Sr. Berenguer happens upon the set of “La Visita” one day with the truth.

Sr. Manuel Berenguer, as he calls himself, is actually the man whom Fr. Monolo was inspired by. He the aggressor, the one that shattered Enrique and Ignacio’s childhoods, has come forth with an explanation. Berenguer, after leaving the Church, worked for some time as a publisher in Barcelona, coming across a story from an Ignacio called “La Visita” about his former life – the same story that would become the film Enrique directs. Nervous, Berenguer attempts to discard the story quietly. The real Ignacio, who we finally meet, is played as a pre-operation transsexual and drug addict by Francisco Boira with perfection, discovers the true identity of Berenguer and attempts to blackmail him for enough money to complete a sex change. Berenguer is forced to confront Ignacio and finds himself seduced by the quiet but tempting Juan – once more, Bernal – and the two fall in love, plotting the demise of Ignacio. Juan, Enrique discovers, is behind the death of his childhood lover, though he says nothing until the end of the film.

Without spoiling what little is left to share, one may see that Bad Education is a terribly complex, though the masterful writing of Almodovar makes it a twisting delight rather than a confusing experience. Actually, the masterful achievements in directing, writing, acting, and other technical categories make Bad Education the best picture to be released in 2004, and perhaps one of the best in recent time. Almodovar offers fans a noir thriller with a twist and Bernal and the rest of the cast similarly deliver career-best performances. Bad Education stands apart, however, not because of excellence in nearly every considered category, but because there is meaning and some sort of reflection impressed upon the viewer in every scene. Questions are raised about the legitimacy of faith (an enormous topic, spanning faith in religion as well as faith in humanity and love, which is wonderfully brought to attention, though left to the viewer to consider) and as well as perennial topics in Almodovar’s works such as the basis of sexuality and love. Not to be missed, Bad Education ranges from being raucously hilarious, darkly seductive and even violent, to ponderous about some of the most troubling themes preoccupying man.

Grade: A

Here is a half-minute clip from the film, giving you an idea of the one of the film. Sorry, there aren't subtitles, but it is fairly clear as to what is happening if you followed the review. Hopefully it convinces who ever hasn't seen this to go pick it up:

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hHbJwD1Jrc0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350">

Last thing. I found this interesting, short video from You Tube showing the dozens of posters for Bad Education. One of the most interesting aspects of film, in my opinion, has always been poster art. No expense was spared on the poster design for the film. This video shows them in the course of about a minute and a half, albeit rapidly. If you own the DVD, many of them are included on the R1 disc.

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vr4xxhK0PcI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350">

Of course, the clip show is set to Cuore Matto, the song I was raving about earlier. Enjoy if you care. :-)

Another butchered review, but nonetheless a short reflection on another Almodovar work. This will probably end my focus on him until I watch Flower of My Secret. The next of these reviews will probably be on Y Tu Mama Tambien, and I'll certainly follow up the movie night with one for Nine Queens. Of course, I hope to spend time enjoying other festival threads, so that will probably be the sum of reviews I write. I will, of course, be around for plenty of discussion. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted 5 pages.




TODO SOBRE MI MADRE
dir. by. PEDRO ALMODOVAR
1999

Insightful and humorous, Pedro Almodovar also delivered with his acclaimed 1999 hit, Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother). Unlike most Almodovar works, All About My Mother is a tender, touching melodrama/comedy hybrid with a wonderful hearth. As the title implies, the film is about motherhood. The name of the film originates from the title of the notes young Esteban (Eloy Arozin) is jotting down about his mother, Manuela (the stunning Cecilia Roth). Esteban, raised solely by Manuela, aspires to become a writer and is taken by Manuela on his 17th birthday to a production of “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Manuela reveals she was once in a production of “Streetcar” and met Esteban’s father (a mystery to both Esteban and his father). Manuela promises to tell Esteban about his absent father after the play, but tragedy strikes: Esteban is killed by a car while chasing Huma Roja (Marisa Paredes), who was the star in the stage version of Streetcar they just witnessed.

Distraught, Manuela resolves to visit Barcelona in search of Esteban’s absent father to share with him the story of the son he never knew he had. She discovers Agrado, a transsexual prostitute played to perfect by Antonia San Juan in a performance that, as is often the case, would have won an American actress an Academy Award. Manuela, Agrado, and Esteban’s father were once close friends, though long-since separated. Esteban’s father, we learn, is missing and is now posing as a transsexual prostitute under the name Lola. Agrado and Manuela resolve to seek out Lola, crossing paths with Sister Maria Rosa Sanz (played by a younger Penelope Cruz in an equally impressive performance), who was the last person to have seen Lola.

Unlike other Almodovar pictures, All About My Mother isn’t particularly dark and, despite the presence of transvestites and prostitution, isn’t a film you would be afraid to share with your mother; it is instead an endearing, touching melodrama about motherhood. We follow the progression of Manuela, who discovers a second family and has a second chance at motherhood, of Agrado, who is sure he is really a woman, and Maria, who is unexpectedly impregnated. Flirting between comedy and tragedy, All About My Mother is Almodovar’s most praised melodrama, a masterful insight into motherhood and a fantastic, vibrant slice of life production. Look for the usual hallmarks of Almodovar pictures, including a score from Alberto Iglesias and superb cinematography and art direction, set mostly in the visually striking Barcelona (one particular shot, filmed in front of La Sagrada Familia, is a treat in itself!). Winner of Best Foreign Picture, All About My Mother is a wonderful, more accessible introduction into Almodovar’s recent wonders.

Grade: A-

A brief "making of" sort of look into the film, in Spanish. Enjoy (if you can understand):
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QdNi4GTuLZQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed>

[align=center] ¡No Te Olvides! - Don't Forget!

[/align]

"An elegant and sly deadpan comedy. - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"The kind of movie that seduces you into becoming putty in its manipulative card-sharking hands and making you enjoy being taken in by its shameless contrivance." - Stephen Holden, New York Times

"When you think you've figured out Bielinsky's great game, that's when you're in the most trouble: He's the con, and you're just the mark." - Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

"A highly enjoyable and entertaining thriller with enough twists and turns to keep audiences guessing until the very end." - Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

October 20th!

Was there a reason Oct. 20th was chose as the date for Nine Queens?

Because coincidentally the film will be airing on IFC a couple of times that day and again later in hte month.

So there's an alternative way to catch it.

Pure coincidence! Thanks so much! That is great news, heh. Now will people have an excuse for missing out? ;-)

Unless you don't have cable...

But no worries, I will be renting it. I am already looking into it (my library doesn't have a copy, but I know which rental store I'll go to). Can't wait.

Got my hands on Nine Queens an hour ago. I will be watching it tomorrow!

I'm recording it! The DVR is a wonderful asset to me. I'm recording the Friday morning airing and will be viewing it tomorrow evening when I get home from a play.

As for the discussion of the film, will we be having it in a separate thread, or in this thread? I plan on posting my review here regardless and think it would be much simpler to keep everything in one thread.

I have high expectations for this, kypade! I expect greatness!

You guys can have the discussion in this thread. I will be joining you two. Looks, good, I heard good things about it when it first came out, which was actually my senior year in college it hit rental stores. I remember wanting to see it even then, so this has finally given me the motivation.

:o

I'm not sure I enjoy that kinda pressure. :/ :O