Wendy's Films of 2010 #21: Broken Embraces (2009)

When I look back on the plot of a film, or a summary made up by some website, I often feel as if this doesn't do a film justice. They can't possibly capture its emotion, the way it makes you feel when you watch it. I'm not just talking about being happy or sad, laughing or jumping out of your seat. I mean the way the characters interact, how they look at each other, the way they're framed or the tone of their voice. I feel that so many of Almodovar's films are impossible express in words, this one included, and that one shouldn't necessarily have to. There are some movies that shouldn't be ranked or graded; they exist outside of that world because they aren't just an assemblage of parts. It seems impossible to prove how you feel about a film because sometimes they just seem to understand you. Outside of this, I could say that Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar and the rest of the cast give wonderful, honest performances; that the film's story is intriguing and that the colours are beautiful, or the story is really well done and I give it nine out of ten. This is all true, but Almodovar often seems to trap me within an emotion or series of beautiful moments that make his films have more of an impact than a number or certain individual characteristics.