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Hot take: Pain and Glory

Writer's picture: AmrutaAmruta

'Pain and Glory' ('Dolor y Gloria') is the much-anticipated semi-autobiographical feature of celebrated director Pedro Almodovar. Antonio Banderas takes on the lead role as the fictional Salvador Mallo, who is old, depressed and beleaguered by an array of ailments. A rescreening of one of his iconic films sparks a reunion with a former actor (Asier Etxeandia). Through this meeting, the director takes up the latter's heroin habit and in so doing reawakens memories of his childhood. Penelope Cruz plays the director's mother here, portraying her as a woman with quiet strength, hidden sensitivities and a quick tongue. Julieta Serrano appears as the older version of the mother, incarnating this fiery, god-fearing woman magnificently.


The director's characteristic approach is on full display here. He fills the screen with bright, bold colours despite the dominant themes of decay. Nevertheless, Etxeandia steals the thunder from Banderas, who is never quite convincing as the old man. This style-over-substance approach is also what prevents the film from really being moving, as if the director is consciously using his art to distance himself from the material of his own life. The comedic moments work better than the tragic ones, leading to an uneven viewing experience. The best parts of this film are the ones that combine sincerity with Almodovar's painterly gaze: the hazy, colourful recollections of childhood emerging from a whitewashed cave. As such, Pain and Glory is only engaging in parts.


Genre: Drama

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 1h 53min

Year of release: 2019

Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Hot take is a series in which I offer my first impressions of films from India and around the world.

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