Almodovar

There are few things in life I enjoy more than a good movie marathon. As a kid, I had a habit of hosting awkward marathons in honor of small character actors (Austin Pendleton, Barry Gordon) and sometimes certain directors. Sadly, only my dad and I would attend these momentous occasions. *ahem* And although my tastes have transformed over the years, I still have a tendency toward movie-overkill. I was a freshman in college when I discovered Almodovar.

I kicked the obsession off with the cult classic, All About My Mother (everyone's favorite but mine), and in the course of about two months I watched every Almodovar film available at the UCSC Media Center, almost his entire canon. And that list is long, my friends. I relished every saucy character, every absurd plot, the kitschy set designs, the red red lipsticks, the slurred spanish, and the brash, unapologetic manner in which Almodovar heaves his indecency at his audience while deftly nurturing gut-wrenching vulnerability in every film. I was especially delighted by how much his earlier female characters irked me. Some are weak, some fiery, but all are emotional wrecks. They wear their bruised hearts on their sleeves, revealing this bizarre mixture of feminine vigor, explosive sexuality, self-destructive extremity, co-dependency, and above all, total dysfunction. Hyperbole? Absolutely not. I couldn't match the scope of their verve with words if I wanted to. Check out Gloria in What Have I Done to Deserve This?, or Marina in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! Locas, totally locas.

Of course, what I also love about Almodovar is how much his work grows and changes. Although each film alone could inspire an entire doctoral thesis on anything from rape culture and mass media to sexual dysfunction and mourning, I can't help but feel that they are all little working parts of this big, juicy, pulsing organism that is constantly maturing. And my god, lately he is carving away the real meat of the thing. Talk to Her in '02, Bad Education in '04, and Volver in '06 reveal much more heart and soul than his previous work, the themes less melodramatic and more tragic, the characters richer. Penelope Cruz's powerhouse, Raimunda from Volver, is the most breathtaking female lead of the whole canon, indeed maybe EVER! Okay, that may be hyperbole. But I love, love, love her.

Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying that I can't freaking wait to see the new Almodovar flick, Broken Embraces. It's already out in NYC and needless to say I'm coming undone over it. Marathon, anyone?