Sony Pictures | 2009 | 127 mins. | Rated R
Director Pedro Almodóvar has clearly found his muse in Penélope Cruz; after working together in Live Flesh, All About My Mother and Volver, the two teamed up again for Broken Embraces. A film within a film that moves back and forth between past and present evoking genres as different as noir and melodrama, movie fans should be thrilled at the number of film references throughout the picture. Beyond that, many of Almodóvar’s films over the past twenty-five years have focused on how people change their persona in pursuit of their desires, without concern for the consequences that may result. Broken Embraces continues that trend.
In 2008, we meet a blind man named Harry Caine (Lluis Homar) who lives alone and is assisted on a daily basis by his agent Judit (Blanca Portillo) and her son Diego (Tamar Novas). Harry´s passion in life is film; he still writes scripts and occasionally produces despite not being able to see the final product. One day learns that the wealthy businessman Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez) has died. His agent expresses concern, but Harry´s reaction is indifference.
When a man named Ray X (Ruben Ochandiano) shows up at his apartment out of the blue, asking him to help make a semi-biographical film, Harry feels very uneasy. With Judit away, Diego steps in to end the conversation. Some amateur investigating reveals that the man is Ernesto Martel, Jr., a filmmaker seeking some sort of closure after his father’s recent death. Diego is hospitalized after an accidental drug overdose in a Madrid nightclub. Harry collects Diego from the hospital and looks after him to avoid worrying his mother. The two spend time together while Judit is away, and Harry begins telling Diego about his past life, beginning in the early 1990’s.
The first flashback is to 1992, when we first meet Magdalena Rivas (Penélope Cruz), better known as ‘Lena’, a beautiful young secretary. Shaken after hearing that her father is dying of cancer, she asks her boss Ernesto Martel, for time off to see him, and later that night seeks some work as a prostitute. To her surprise, her boss calls for her services, horrified, she hangs up. With no one else to turn to for money, Lena becomes romantically involved with Ernesto to help defray medical costs for her father.
By 1994, she has become Martel’s mistress. At this time, Harry is still living under his real name, Mateo Blanco, and is working as a film director. Mateo only uses Harry when he signs literary works, stories and scripts. Anyway, He needs a lead actress, and Lena wants to audition, and achieve her dream of being in films. Mateo is immediately drawn to her, and Lena gets the part.
As work on the film begins, Ernesto agrees to produce the film, mainly so he can have his son, Ernesto, Jr., keep a camera around and follow Lena, shooting her every move. Despite Ernesto’s best efforts, Mateo and Lena begin a passionate sexual affair, and the second half of Broken Embraces follows them as they leave the area, and Ernesto releases the film in disarray to try and force a confrontation with the lovers.
While some of the supporting characters aren’t as well defined as Mateo or Lena, there is still much to enjoy about Broken Embraces. Visually, the film has beautiful moments, such as when Mateo’s hand glances longingly over video frames, shown in close-up and slow-motion, akin to moving abstract paintings. And for those of us who love movies about movies, Pedro Almodóvar has given us a cinematic feast.
The video transfer to Blu-ray is soft and balanced in its coloration. The image is grain free and wisely incorporates natural light. Brights and darks take turns popping during the 2.35:1 1080p High Definition transfer. Non-traditional cinematography also adds to the unique look of the film. Items in the background are distinguishable and clear, but do not distract from the action in each foreground shot. All-in-all, a very solid job.
Emotional changes are conveyed very well via the film´s Spanish 5.1 DTS High Definition Master Audio soundtrack. Also available is a French 5.1 Dolby Digital option. The surround sound is noticeable but not dominant; it expands the film´s audio reach but does not completely take over. The music, featuring an original score from Alberto Iglesias, is well placed and equally emotional throughout. Dialogue sounds stronger in some scenes than in others, but as a whole the soundtrack is very strong. Subtitles are available in English and French.
Broken Embraces arrives on Blu-ray with a small slate of special features:
• The Cannibalistic Councillor (480p, 7:34) is an original short film, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, and featuring a character from Broken Embraces as the central focus.
• Pedro Directs Penélope (480p, 5:52) offers a look into the directorial process as Almodóvar works with Cruz during the filming of a scene from Broken Embraces.
• On the Red Carpet: The New York Film Festival Closing Night (1080p, 3:13), a brief glimpse into the activities at the festival and intercut with several interview clips with The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Program Director Richard Peña, Broken Embraces Director Pedro Almodóvar, and Actress Penélope Cruz.
• Variety Q&A with Penelope Cruz (1080i, 6:18) features the actress answering questions from Variety’s Todd McCarthy, intercut with snippets from the film.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 12:20) three in total.
• Broken Embraces theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:45)
• BD-Live functionality
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