- Year: 2019
- Country: Spain
- Director: Pedro Almodóvar
- Starring: Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Penélope Cruz
Antonio Banderas plays an aging film director plagued with health issues (as well as severe anxiety and depression) who decides to reconnect with an old friend/actor (Asier Etxeandia) he had a falling-out with over 30 years ago. As this happens, we are given flashbacks of his childhood. What I’ll say is this: this is as fragile and profound as I’ve ever seen from Almodóvar. It’s also a work of great restraint: just when the film (hilariously) finds Banderas and a completely charming Etxeandia reconnecting and taking drugs together, the film almost steers towards bromance comedy which (thankfully) never happens. Almodóvar maintains his film as one of deep meaning: one about aging, mortality, family, friendship and, of course, cinema. Banderas, by incredible vulnerability, probably gives the best performance I’ve seen from him (I’ve tried but I can’t see anything in his filmography that beats this, including prior Almodóvar films – no wonder he won Best Actor at Cannes for this). And what I wouldn’t give to get my hands on this film’s wardrobe. Dolor Y Gloria has been selected as Spain’s entry for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Oscars. I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes the cut.
Cinema Del Peppel 