After her son is killed in an accident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a young nun who turns out to be pregnant. Meanwhile, Manuela becomes a personal assistant for Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), an actress currently playing Blanche DuBois in a production of
A Streetcar Named Desire.
All About My Mother traces the delicate web of friendship and loss that binds these women together. The movie is dedicated to the actresses of the world, so it's not surprising that all the performances are superb. Roth in particular anchors
All About My Mother with compassion and generosity. But fans of writer-director Pedro Almodóvar needn't fret--as always, Almodóvar's work undermines conventional notions of sexual identity and embraces all human possibilities with bright colors and melodramatic plotting. However,
All About My Mother approaches its twists and turns with a broader emotional scope than most of Almodóvar's work; even the more extravagant aspects of the story are presented quietly, to allow the sadness of life to be as present as the irrepressible vitality of the characters. Almodóvar embraces pettiness, jealousy, and grief as much as kindness, courage, and outrageousness, and the movie is the richer for it.
--Bret Fetzer
1 Almodovar's Tapestry
My first experience with All About My Mother was during my Thanksgiving vacation to NYC. I stumbled in a very crowded cinema and the screening was sold out...From the first frame to the very gorgeous closing credits, I was hypnotized and consumed by Almodovar's vision of women that I totally forgot where I was and about the subway roaring under the floor once every 5 minutes. It's not my style to explain or get into the plot because there are countless people who haven't seen this film yet. Every perfomance is breathtaking and the emotional range is rich and complex. As Manuela "sleepwalks" in pain and sorrow through Barcelona, guiding us on her own personal journey, we become interwined into the very exquisite, soulful tapestry of women from every walk of life. On my way to the hotel after the film ended, the women still followed me. And they still do after 5 years.
2 A very sad and wonderful story
I was genuinely touched by this beautiful film by Almodovar. I would highly recommend it, though it is a tale of loss and grief and the way we recover from grief by moving out of ourselves and back into the world.
Manuela is a organ transplant nurse who matches organ donors to recipients in Madrid. Manuela has also performed in medical education films, showing physicians how to ask greif stricken relatives if they are willing to give up the organs of their deceased loved ones so that they might be used by others. Her beautiful fine son, Esteban, will soon have his 18th birthday and we see Esteban writing entries into his journal which he calls "all about my mother". Manuela takes Esteban to see his favorite actress Huma Rojo play Blanche DuBois in Street Car Named Desire. He is struck by an automobile and dies in the emergency room in the hospital where Manuela works. Manuela's physician colleagues must now ask her for her son's organs so that others might live. The acting is so superb and realistic that I found this film to be almost unbearable at this point. Before his death, Esteban asked his mother to tell him about his father, which she never did. Now she leaves Madrid and returns to Barcelona to find her former lover and tell him about the son he does not know he had. Manuela goes to Barcelona and connects with Huma Rojo, the aging lesbian diva, and becomes her assistant. Huma's life is a mess due to her stormy relationship with her junkie lover. Manuela's kindness and calm organizational skills help her bring order to Huma's life. The fact that Manuela comes out of nowhere to come to Huma's aide reminded me of the Blanche DuBois line: I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. The parallel to All About Eve is also recognizable as Manuela eventually must take to the stage to play Stella when an actress fails to appear at curtain time.
Manuela becomes the helper and emotional support for Sister Rosa, an HIV positive pregnant nun. Rosa has been impregnated by the same man as Manuela 19 years earlier. Manuela cares for Rosa even as Rosa is rejected by her upper-class mother. Rosa tragically dies in childbirth leaving Manuela with a new baby boy.
Manuela tracks down her former lover and finds that he is now a transexual HIV positive drug addicted prostitute. Lola (his new name) and Manuela grieve the loss of Esteban; he grieves the son he never knew while she begins to move out of her grief into a state of compassion. Manuela, in her support for Lola, is showing that she is moving out of her grief through the love and care of others. She moves out of personal grief and into compassion for the world of sadness all around her.
Almodovar develops outlandish characters; lesbian divas, pregnant nuns, and transgendered playboys. Yet they are played with such warmth and empathy that they become real. Manuela plays the archtypal mother, loving, caring, supporting, suffering, grieving, and sympathetic.
Even though this film broke my heart, it is profoundly sad, it also was so beautifully compassionate to all the humans in the story. Manuela must move from incredible grief (the loss of an only son) toward God's view of the world and human suffering so as to move beyond her own pain and suffering. Only a mature and brilliant film maker could produce such a fine film as this. The subtle and sublime are lovingly combined with the outlandish and absurd.
3 Cecilia Roth was unforgetable!
I have my list of favorite actresses from various countries. To name a few: Juliette Binoche(France), Toni Collette(Austrilia), Emily Watson(England), Sandra Oh(Canada), Shofhreh Agdashloo(Iran),...., and now Cecilia Roth after seeing her in All About My Mother! She stole my heart the minute she screamed when her son got hit my the car early in the movie. It was very emotionally impacting, and the rest of the movie she continue to capture my undevided attention.
Her character had to endured grief after her son died, and she met people from her past, a nun who was HIV positive, played by the makeup-free Penelope Cruz. She reconnects with a friend who is now a pre-op transexual/hooker. She gets to be on stage as a substitute actress. She had to raise Cruz's baby. And she eventually found her ex who is now a transexual and is the father of the Cruz's baby. So she had one heaven of a journey to go through in this film. I enjyed her trmendously!
4 Typical Almod—var film.
That is, a fascinating premise that, while well-acted, manages to fall nearly completely apart because nothing is connected in a way that's necessary to keep the film coherent. It's almost series of vignettes, each weirder than the other, and each making less sense in the "big" story. As a result, it may be somewhat artistic in spots, but spotty as a film. You have to work for it to hold your interest.
5 It's a womens' world-even the men want to be women!
The death by accident of a mother's much loved son compels her to go to Barcelona and inform the father, who doesn't even know of the boy's existence. Finding the father is not so easy and by going to Barcelona, the mother digs back into a world she had left behind in order to bring up her son. It is a sordid but colourful world with transvestite prostitutes, junkies, an AIDs riddled nun, divas, and the usual associates of one's past. Remember that this is Almodovar, not Ivory-Merchant. However, these people are not displayed as freaks, but portrayed sympathetically. Almodovar celebrates their lives. He does not pass judgement.
Like other Almodovar films, the complex story line shows the strains that pull apart and bring together relationships. The emotional lives of the characters are laid bare. While there may be melodrama, there is a strict avoidance of sentimentality. The acting is wonderful, especially Cecilia Roth, who for some reason reminds me of the British actress, Hannah Gordon.
My only criticism is the use of coincidence. This is also a feature of other Almodovar's films; but here he stretches it a bit far. For instance, first the Cecilia Roth character steps in to take the part of an actress in a professional stage play, to great acclaim, and then when she leaves it, her transvestite friend, who as far as I know has never acted in his life, effortlessly takes over. This is a small criticism. "All About My Mother" is a splendid film by a great film maker. Without being a dreary feminist polemic, it is a celebration of women in all their roles: as mothers, as lovers, as carers; and to those who want to be women. Warmly recommended.
6 Family Ties
Despite being utterly overrated, "All About My Mother" is still a compelling and well-crafted movie nonetheless. Avoiding the "style over substance" tendencies that marked some of his work, director Pedro Almod—var delivers a tight and strong cinematic experience with enough drama and comedy to create a relevant achievement. This is a deep story about mothers, sons, and families (conventional or not), with some dysfunctions and problems along the way. The acting is pretty good, the dialogue is realistic and convincing and the direction is adequately intimate and close to the characters. Yet, the movie isn`t as great or remarkable as some seem to claim. Basically, it`s just a well-told story, not a landmark efort. Not great, or even very good, "All About My Mother" is still an interesting melodrama worth checking.
Good enough.
7 All about What??
The actresses are good. The subject/hidden feeling as explored are also good. However can't the director work out a better, compelling plot line, a reasonable/believable touching story instead of piece together his unconnected dreams??
8 Incredible
Probably my favourite film of all time!
Almodovar does it every time without fail.
He creates stories using characters that would be unsympathetically portrayed by other directors, yet he creates empathy within you even for the most screwed up them.
In this story, dealing with the love a mother has for her son, and her tragic loss when he dies, you meet prostitutes, transsexuals, transvestites and nuns with HIV!
Sounds ridiculous, but the director is a genius.
It's worth noting that this film won an Oscar for Best International Movie.
A truly moving, emotional, funny and thought provoking story, with colourful characters and told with genuine warmth.
I defy anyone not to be moved...
9 Truth is beyond any preset limits
You must be Spanish today to be able to produce such a film entirely dedicated to the concept of the Ç son È. The real son who was born, raised and educated by his mother, because of the total absence of the father, because the father is not Ç presentable È to the son, because teh father is a semi-transexual transvestite, what's more addicted to heroin and infested with AIDS. The film becomes poignant, a lot more than sentimental, compassionate, pathetic or any thing else of the kind, when one mother who has just lost her teenage son from this father meets with a nun who is carrying the not yet born son of this very same father. It could become bleak since the new mother is HIV positive, or even densely black since she dies during delivery, and yet it remains luminous when the father discovers the truth about his first son and then discovers his second son, a few weeks before he, this father, dies. This luminosity is multiplied because an actress who is performing Blanche in Ç A Streetcar Named Desire È, brings into the film all the dense meaning conveyed by this situation and the author of the play. Never the film becomes critical. Never the film hides or distanciates the situation and the professions of some of these newly born Ç women È. Never the film becomes gross or sickening. It is a master piece on a fundamental and essential problem in our societies, a problem that concerns millions and millions of people, men, women and children alike : gender identity and AIDS. To hide it would be a crime.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
10 Frivolous and Profound.
This may indeed be Pedro Almodovar's peak as a film-maker. Although he has always walked the line between high comedy and sentimental drama, in 'All About My Mother', Almodovar has created an unusual and funny array of characters that are instantly likeable.
Almodovar's love of comic confrontation and female fantasy have often brought him derision from various critical quarters. Some critics bemoan his seeming obsessions with kitsch surfaces and camp frivolity. It says something about the power of his film-making when mariginal societal characters such as these make us feel a greater affection and empathy for them than we do for the majority of mid-west suburbanite families that are portrayed on screen. We might seem a bit cynical in the English-speaking world that so many people can become such trusting friends in such a short space of time, but the movie is less about buddies and more about the maternal need that all of these women have to give and receive love.
The performances vary from the exceptional Antonia San Juan as a transvestite prostitute to the above average Penelope Cruz as a pregnant nun.
It's difficult to imagine Pedro Almodovar making movies in his 70's still rendering the touching and profound from such light-hearted frivolity. But it is something to look forward to.
11 "I went after my son's heart"
Watching ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is a strange journey; just when you think it went off on a tangent, it pulls the viewer back in with authentic and convincing emotional portrayals of grief and loss, which ultimately results in a satisfying film. Spanish films, and in particular Pedro Almodovar films, are well crafted and worth searching out in the video store, and ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER doesn't disappoint. This film follows the story of Manuela who loses her beloved son Estaban in a car accident. After his death she realizes that his biggest wish is to know who his father is. Traveling from Madrid to Barcelona Manuela engages on a trip that is both geographical and emotional. She eventually comes to terms with her ex-husband Lola, who is a cross-dresser and drug addict. The story of Lola is deeply sad and unsettling. Equally thought provoking is Penelope Cruz's performance as a nun whose life is turned upside down after being intimate with Lola. There are no quintessential Hollywood happy endings in this film, rather just honest and realistic partings of the characters. Recommended.
12 great dvd edition of another fine Almodovar film
Manuela has just lost her son in a traffic accident and travels to Barcelone to look up old friends, including the transvestite who abandoned her 18 years ago never knowing she was pregnant. She reestablishes old friendships and makes new acquaintances as she looks for the father, and finds him at the end of the film.
One interesting thing about this film is the concept of gender. Almodovar is a director who typically works with strong actresses and writes well for women, and this film, dedicated to actresses and mothers, is particularly interesting as an exploration of female relationships. In "An Intimate Conversation with Pedro Almodovar", a 24-minute dvd feature, he states that one of the ideas he wants to examine is the "natural solidarity of women" -- not your typical take on female relations, at least in the US. These are women who are lost or experiencing loss, and they bring strength to each other and build friendships even in their grief. There are few men in the film, and though they are pivotal to the action they are only tangentially present -- one dies, two are transvestites and one has advanced Alzheimer's.
Another thread that runs through the film is the play A Streetcar Named Desire. Manuela met her husband while playing Stella to his Kowalski; later her son is killed after they see this play together, and she eventually befriends the actress who plays Blanche.
There are few dvd extras but they will add to your enjoyment of the film. In additon to the conversation with Almodovar, in which he explains themes of the film as well as the process of writing and directing, there is a 3-minute making-of featurette and talent files for several of the actors and the director. The film can be heard in Spanish with English or French subtitles, or you can watch the film with only the soundtrack playing. The music is very nice.
As usual with Almodovar films, this one is emotionally riveting and thought-provoking -- a great film to see with friends or on your own. Another success for this intelligent and provocative director-writer.
13 Man is a Woman is a Man
This movie stages a strange scenario. A son looks for his father but dies in an auto accident. Then the mother looks for the father to tell him of his son's death except the father is a transvestite. He's also something of a lady's man, so go figure. Almodovar, directing with great sensitivity and intelligence, understands life is rife with absurdities, which, however, do not make the eternal themes of love and pain any less real. The man who plays the father is a strange creature, indeed. On the one hand, totally ridiculous, yet... there's something 'beautiful' about him, like in an exotic species of bird, that explains why men and women, against their better judgment, have fallen under his spell.
That the son never discovers this fact but we do in his stead somehow links us closer with the emotions in the movie.
14 Essential to the true film fanatic
"All About My Mother" eschews the trite little star-studded pap that passes for drama in Hollywood these days, and carries with it a tremendous pedigree: masterful acting (some of the best I've seen in years), a great script, and possibly the most underrated director in film today, Pedro Almodovar.
Almodovar has hit a few bumps in his time ("Live Flesh", "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down"), but this one is the goods. Being a guy who digs mindless action flicks as well as tasteful foreign cinema, I can honestly say I almost cried at the end of this one. Cecilia Roth is the rope that anchors the entire cast, made up of old/young/transgendered women, and the emotion that permeates through the screen is considerable.
Penelope Cruz? Who knew she could act? I still think they should keep her away from the Hollywood machine; she performs adequately here.
As other reviewers have stated, it's a torturous ride, but one that pays off double by the end.
15 Painful and emotional
When her son is killed, Manuela quietly comes unglued and returns to her old stomping grounds in Barcelona, exploring the fragile strings of friendship that bind her to three other women, a pregnant nun, a prostitute, and an actress. There's a quiet sadness that permeates the otherwise melodramatic events in this movie. It's quite spectacular.
16 /////////////
The problem with too many "dramas" is that they constantly fall into straightjackets like "tearjerker" or "realist", loaded with terrible amounts of sentimentality or so depressing they're like staring into the sun. Happily, All About My Mother avoids both drops, it's never maudlin nor harsh, and for the most part the characters behave human (rather than psychopathically emotional), which makes the circumstances surrounding them neither too depressing to bear, nor too fantastic. Almodovar's direction is, as always, well paced and shot, providing enough visual spark to heighten interest, but never overwhealming the story.
All About My Mother is perfect if you're looking for a well balanced and interesting movie that's neither depressing nor cold. Perhaps it wraps things up a bit too cleanly, but this hardly diminshes it's value as art or entertainment.
17 All About Las Mujeres....
I bought this dvd recently at a discount as a previously viewed item. I've always enjoyed Pedro Almodovar's work, especially my favorite, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". I had read and heard lots of good things about "All About My Mother" and after watching it, I wasn't let down. Cecilia Roth is excellent as Manela, a mother her loses her only son, Esteban, to a car accident before her very eyes. Grief stricken she decides to run away from Madrid where she lived and return to Barcelona, the city that she left years ago as a young pregnant woman. Once in Barcelona she meets an old friend called La Agrado, a transsexual prostitute, who in turn introduces her to Rosa, a nun, who becomes a new friend. She also finds work with Huma Rojo (played wonderfully by Marisa Paredes) an actress who is touring the country playing Blanche DuBois in Tennessee William's great work, "A Street Car Named Desire". It was this play that she saw with her son the night he was killed, as he was trying to meet Huma Rojo. The story has lots of twists and is always interesting, as you would expect from Almodovar. But it is the relationships between these women that is the real star of this movie. Almodovar explores the depth of friendship and sisterhood between these women but never turns it into a Lifetime Movie. And due must be given to the actresses, in paticular Cecelia Roth, Marisa Paredes and Antonio San Juan. This movie is a great find and I recommend it to all.
18 Loved it
I loved this movie. Almodovar is very talented at making a movie interesting and a little bit quirky, but very emotionally impacting. The movie confronts many aspects of society, makes you laugh, and can surely make you cry. In Spanish and not a movie for kids, but a good buy.
19 the power of the woman
Although many thought that this movie was ridiculous and hard to relate to, I admit that Almodovar really points out the strength women have in this film.
All men are after women, chase women and want to be women. Also the fact that a lot of the characters are so hard to identify with, makes the audience identify more with the only "normal" character Manuela.
This movie is full of symbolism and depth despite the surface of awkward relationships, etc...
highly recommended!
20 Power of life
I felt I was ready to watch "All about my mother" only after watching Pedro Almodovar "Talk to her" which made me hope that although "all about my mother" is sad and depressing as I was told, it might give me a unique experience.
Indeed I was not disappointed. Surprisingly, although the story is quite sad, the film is not depressing at all and ends with a hopeful note. This is a movie about the power of motherhood, love, and the power of life in general - whatever way you choose to live your life.
Manuela, the heroine, is a strong beautiful woman whose presence fills the screen. Sometimes its enough to only see her without uttering any words. Manuela has a very close relationship with her son, Estaban. Estaban seems to worship his mother and watches her every step in a course of his "preparation" for writing a novel he wishes to term "all about my mother". Indeed, Manuela is a unique person. Her choice of work as a transplant coordinator in a large hospital tells us that Manuela deals with life and death issues on a daily basis. After her son's death Manuela needs to escape from her regular existence in order to put her troubled soul to rest. She makes the journey to Barcelona - from where she ran away 18 years ago to look for the father of her son, in order to tell him of the son he will never get to see. The viewers get to see this father figure only at the end of the movie, but her presence is felt throughout the movie and when we finally see him we have already built a certain image in our minds. Personally, I was not let down. This journey back to her past - or rather, back to the past in order to make a new future shows us that in her essence Manuela has not changed so much through the years. She is a woman capable of great love and giving which does not go unreturned. The love that was totally invested in her son and in her work is now invested in other people.
The movie is visually beautiful to watch all the main characters are beautifully portrayed. Somehow Almodovar managed to make all characters beautiful to watch. Not that they are all physically good looking, but one likes them all and for some reason, you manage to remain not judgmental towards their actions.
I have to add that in a way I find a lot of similarities between "All about my mother" and the book "Kitchen" by the Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto. Indeed both works have similar traits - whether it is the vitality, the force of life, and even the characters - a man who has turned into a loving woman appears in both. Both artists practice tolerance and acceptance to all forms of life and love.
21 Can't get any better than this!
Everytime I see one of Pedro Almodovar's movie, I ask myself "How can he top this?" This movie was no exception!
A little more on the "commercial" side than his previous movies though.
Just ordered "Habla con Ella".
22 The New Era
We are in a new era.
Sex orientation is the theme here and it has become so confusing that the mother wouldn't like her curious teenager son to know anything about his father because he had changed himself into a woman.
The father dumped by this pregnant woman later died of aids and before his death passed the disease to a young and noble woman who as a result also died leaving behind her a baby girl. On juxtaposition was a fatal accident which took away the life of this promising youth. His father didn't know that he had a son longed to but never had a chance of seeing him alive before his death. All he got was just a picture and tears. And for the mother, only memories and bittered ones and the burden of another new-borned baby.
The setting is in Spain and the way they handled life and these problems exhibits a lot of humanity. Recommended.
23 Engrossing, fantastic and splendid film
ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is a great film. Though it requires its American audience to read subtitles it is still a truly engrossing and wonderful film. The storyline is unique, making the film very watchable. The acting is superb from the likes of Cecilia Roth and Penelope Cruz. If you enjoy foreign films, interesting plots and characters, or films that keep you hooked from beginning to end ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is a must-see. I recommend you buy or rent this film today.
Director Pedro Almodovar takes his viewers on a journey through the life of a troubled woman. This woman has an important job, a handsome and loving son, and a comfortable life. In a split second, it all comes to a halt. Her beloved son Esteban is killed. After a period of grief, she goes in search of a new life. She finds a new life full of nuns, transvestites, and traces of the great writer Esteban would have been. Almodovar does a splendid job telling the story and makes the film one few will forget.
I think the thing about this film is its honesty and reality. The film is so true to life and shows the faults of humans. The actors all bring a gritty reality to the picture. The film won Best Foreign Language film in 1999. It was well-deserved on the part of all involved. Pedro Almodovar wove a story that many people will enjoy.
If you don't enjoy foreign films, films dealing with transvestites, or if you are looking to escape from life by watching the movie, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is not for you. If you enjoy innovative films with great actors, unique plots, and Academy-Award winning films, this a picture you should see. However, my suggestion would be to rent the film first to see if you like it. If you do, buy it from Amazon.com. Either way, you're in for a treat.
24 Interesting, To Say The Least
My indoctrination into the world of director Pedro Almodovar still has my head spinning. Simultaneously touching, poignant, funny, tragic, and silly, watching ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is like trying to eat a delicious five-course meal that carries a troubling aftertaste. Satisfying, but where are the antacid tablets?
Cecilia Roth, a stunning beauty who quietly dominates every scene she is in, plays protagonist Manuela, whose tranquil life suddenly has been shattered by the tragic death of her only child, a 17-year-old aspiring writer. Motivated to find her son's father, she travels across Spain to Barcelona, where she is immediately immersed in a bizarre world of dysfunction that--based on the portrayal of her character thus far--literally comes out of nowhere. Manuela suddenly becomes friend, caretaker, and advisor to a transvestite prostitute, a pregnant nun with AIDS, and an aging stage actress on the downside of her career. The interaction of these characters (including a compelling performance by Penelope Cruz as Sister Rosa) is warm, tender--feminine. Yet Almodovar's placing all of these outrageous characters together in an attempt--as I suspect--to demonstrate the sheer diversity of the human condition just didn't work for me. My first impression of Manuela as the film began was ingrained in me: a modest, unassuming woman, completely and totally detached from the subsequent zinginess she would encounter as the film progressed.
Inconsistent and uneven, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is still a beautiful, well-made film. I will definitely check out some of Cecilia Roth's other movies, as I found her most intriguing. And that sure beats a handful of antacid tablets.
--D. Mikels
25 Even if you hate this director - it is a great film
I do not like this director. I saw two of Almod—var's previous films and they left me stone cold. But this film is quite different and much it leaves the viewer well satisfied. Celia Roth plays Manuela who lives with her seventeen year old son. After he is killed in an car accident, Manuela leaves Madrid for her home town Barcelona for unfinished business with the boy's father.
She meets her old friend, a transsexual prostitute Agrado. Through Agrado she connects Rosa, a caring nun who is both pregnant and sick. In time, she becomes this nun's surrogate mother as she faces her dreadful fate.
In a plot similar to All about Eve, Manuela becomes a personal assistant for Huma, an actress currently playing Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire - a play that Manuela was in when she was younger and then gets a part in the play.
There are impossible coinicidences throughout the film, but it all works somehow and it is even vaguely believable. The plot is actually secondary to emotional depths of this film. It is about grief, healing, motherhood, friendships and fatherhood. It looks at transexuals and the bonds between some very different women.
Roth is superb in the lead role - both vunerable but strong. The scene with all the main women characters drinking and talking is brilliantly put together. The whole film has a superb pace and the direction if excellent.
I would not say he has entirely softened, but Almod—var's shows some merciful restraint and it works far better than his previous films.
26 "I always thought I could make it big in the third world."
Director Pedro Almodovar is a great favourite of mine, and this film, "All About My Mother" is a perfect example of both his genius and his world view. Cecilia Roth and Marisa Paredes star in this remarkable film, and they are two of Almodovar's greatest leading ladies. Almodovar loves women--real and otherwise--and this film is a homage to women everywhere. Almodovar smoothly scatters references to other great female characters in "All About My Mother. " You will recognize a scene from "How to Marry a Millionaire," excerpts of "All About Eve," and scenes from "A Streetcar Named Desire."
I love to watch Roth on the screen--her intensity matches that of Isabelle Huppert. Roth plays the role of Manuela--a woman who is dealt the cruelest blow--the loss of a child, yet from this horrific event Manuela salvages her life, emerges and triumphs--as a mother and as a woman.
Manuela (Cecilia Roth), a single mother, is a nurse in Madrid. She enjoys a very close relationship with her only son, Esteban, and for his eighteenth birthday, they see Huma Roja (Marisa Paredes) play Blanche in a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." Following the performance, Esteban is tragically killed, and Manuela finds herself fleeing to Barcelona for "unfinished business" with Esteban's father--a transvestite named Lola.
But in one of Almodovar's strange twists of fate, Manuela again meets the actress Huma Rojo--a woman who is struggling with her own demons. Fate has even more in store for Manuela when she becomes involved with a HIV positive nun, Sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz).
Special note here for Antonio San Juan who plays La Agrado--the transvestite prostitute who gives up the streets but not her tendency to be agreeable. In one of my favourite scenes in the film, Agrado takes the stage and improvises, explaining to the audience just how much his plastic surgery cost.
The ultimate message of this film is acceptance--acceptance of those who love us, those who fail us, those who are different, and those we lose. This is not some sort of feel good I-am-woman--hear-me-roar film--it is far more than that--this is Almodovar's perfect statement about women, and this film made it to my Top Ten best film list.
27 The Struggle Between Heartbreak and Hope
Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother contains more pure emotion than anything Hollywood puts out these days. The film follows the turbulent life of Manuela (Cecilia Roth) who tragically loses her teenage son Esteban (Eloy Azorin) after they both attend a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire. Esteban is killed when he is hit by a car while chasing after actress Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes) in the hope of getting her autograph. The loss devestates Manuela. When she recovers from her grief, she sets out to Barcelona to find Esteban's father to tell him of his son's death. Along the way, Manuela comes across old and new friends who help her heal further while also causing her more grief. Almodovar expertly balances the heartbreak and the humor to such a degree that the viewer is never sure whether a tear or a laugh is around the corner. And while the characters in the film are unconventional - transvestite hookers, a pregnant nun, lesbians - the irony is their interactions say as much about family values as any conventional family film out there. All the performances from Roth's grieving mother to Penelope Cruz's ill-fated nun are honest and true. This film is a roller-coaster ride of emotion but in the end you'll be glad that you took the ride.
28 A movie to remember
This movie is one of the few movies that you will want to see over and over again, and will still make you cry time and time again.
29 I LOVE THIS MOVIE
My main reason for renting this movie was due to a homework assignment in college for Spanish class. And I am so glad that I did, in fact I now own the DVD. Almod—var is a brilliant director. Since I am focused on learning castilian, I watch the movie over and over again. And by doing so I have caught the director's fine details at making a great movie that I seemed to have missed the first time. The colors are so rich, the actresses are amazing, Cecilia Roth is probably one of the most "real" actresses I have ever watched on screen.
I have also watched "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" and it seems to me that Pedro Almod—var is focused on putting men in negative (for the most part)stereotypical rolls...as weak, cheating, using, non-caring.(Has anyone noticed this besides me?) And the women are running the show, doing "right". Which is fine by me, I enjoy the tremendous combination of talented actors grouped together.
Great job Pedro, keep up the wonderful work!
30 Best of 1999!
Pedro Almodovar shocked me w/ this release. The man famous for bright-colored farcical fare has turned over a new leaf and launched himself straight into TRUE DRAMA. Hot Brazilian momma Cecilia Roth evokes enough emotional overload (followed by restraint) to keep our interest throughout. Almodovar doesn't leave his past antics behind completely (read: transvestites, homosexuals, drug addicts, &c). However, beyond the anomolies, the actors in this film deliver full-bodied characters, and we draw ourselves closer to them, hoping their lives will turn out for the better. Beautiful camera work. Great script. Terrific acting. Mondo director. Eat your heart out, "American Beauty." THIS film deserved Best Picture...
31 Heartbreaking and Powerful
Cecilia Roth shines as a woman whose only son is cut down in the prime of life while she watched helplessly. After his death, she commits to finding his father, and so begins a telling search for the truth that is at once tinged with sadness and yet filled with wondeful spirit and light. Aldomovar is a genius of perception, and this film - rightfully an Oscar Winner for Best Foreign Language Film - ranks up there with his own "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" as one of the best films to ever come from Spain (or any foreign country for that matter.) Funny, fast, furious and frightening at once, the tale is spun through Roth's point of view - that of a heartbroken mother who finds redemption via a cast of unseeming characters who both ooze humanity and pathos. A brilliant film, not to be missed!
32 gotta love your mom....
easily considered the greatest film of almodovar's career and i am in absolute agreement. all about my mother has it all from plenty of almodovar outrageousness which we've come to love and an unforgettable touching story. cecilia roth gives a sweet and convincing story a woman who's son was killed in a car accident. after losing her only son, she sets off to find his father whom evidently has never been in the picture. along the way, she meets the most outrageous but certainly lovable characters one could ever have hoped to meet. we meet two lesbians actresses, a transvestite model, and a young pregnant nun all of whom are in need of help in one way or another. what unfolds throughout the film is glorious, tragic, and always engaging. mr.almodovar makes several references to classic films like all about eve as well as tenessee williams' famous play a streetcar named desire. easily pedro almodovar's most compelling film and i can't recommend this film enough. just see it !!! you won't be disappointed.
33 Unsettling and brilliant
This is my first experience with a film directed by the acclaimed Spanish film maker, Pedro Almod—var. It is very complex on both a technical and emotional level.
It is first and foremost a kind of absurdist parody of contemporary life with Almod—var simultaneously questioning bourgeois values and celebrating the community of those with alternative life styles. He makes the burghers in the audience feel uneasy in their assumptions, especially about questions of gender and about the lifestyle of cross-dressers and gender-unspecific/variable people, who, he wants us to know, live and breath and love and hate just like anybody else.
Cecile Roth stars as Manuela, who is a nurse at a hospital in Madrid where she helps to coordinate the organ donor programs. She is also an amateur actress who plays in the simulations that the hospital makes to educate staff and patients. Her 17-year-old son with whom she is very close tells her she is a great actress, but Manuela is modest. She is also secretive about his father's identity. After seeing a production of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire, the son and the mother await outside the stage door so that he can get an autograph from the actress who plays Blanche Dubois, Marisa Paredes, who is named Huma Rojo in the film. Tragedy ensues as the son is hit and fatally injured. In just one of a number of plot mixings that emphasize the sometimes tragic and often ironic nature of the human experience, the son becomes an organ donor before he dies, and Manuela, who had previously arranged for organ donations, now has to sign the papers to donate the organs of her beloved son.
Now she goes to Barcelona to look up the father, who had once played the crude and boorish Stanley Kowalski to her Stella, again from A Streetcar Named Desire. In Barcelona Manuela again sees the play, but this time meets the star, Huma, who is a grande old dame of the Spanish theater, a Lesbian genius who has taken her theatrical cue in life from Bette Davis (and her smoking habits as well). In a salute to Davis and a remembrance of one of her greatest roles, we see posters of Bette Davis from the classic Hollywood film, All About Eve (1950), and then a kind of take off on the action as Manuela becomes in a sense Eve Harrington as she befriends Huma and begins working for her. (Waiting outside the stage door for a autograph is also a scene from All About Eve.) Nina (Candela Pe–a) Huma's heroin-addicted lover becomes jealous and accuses Manuela of seeking Huma's friendship just so she can become a star herself, a la Eve Harrington. To top it off Manuela is called upon to play Stella when Nina cannot because of an overdose, and miraculously she relives her role from twenty years before, and does a great job, because she is, as her son knew, a gifted actress.
Okay, we can see the complexities. I have merely given the premise of the film. Enter now Antonia San Juan as Agrado, an old friend of Manuela's who is a professional transvestite. (San Juan is brilliant in the part as a woman playing a man playing a woman.) Enter also PenŽlope Cruz as a pregnant nun with AIDs. What evolves is a kind of sisterhood among variously gendered females. There is also a sense of a middle class, soap opera-ish even, action and resolution, but with Almod—var's tongue firmly in cheek.
Men, however, do not come off very well in this film. The grandfather-to-be apparently has Alzheimer's and does not even recognize his daughter. Manuela's son is dead. A theater male is depicted as a kind of stagehand Stanley Kowalski, boorishly insensitive, seeking only his own pleasure; indeed Tennessee Williams's crude, animalistic Kowalski appears as a metaphor for men in this film. Manuela is his long-suffering Stella, and Huma has always, as she actually says, depended on the kindness of strangers. Finally, there is "Lola" a tall, handsome, gender-modified Kowalski, played inadequately by Toni Cant—, in what may be a bit of purposely bad casting for effect by Almod—var--or perhaps I should say, played shallowly and unconvincingly on purpose by Toni Cant—. It's hard to tell. Indeed part of Almod—var's technique is a blurring of distinctions with ironic parallels, showing how some things are the same, but different depending on your point of view, the organ donors, Lola's fatherhood, Manuela as Stella and/or Eve, etc.
Bottom line this is an unsettling film, brilliantly acted by Paredes, Roth and San Juan, and cleverly directed in a most original style by Almod—var. It will not play well with Disney aficionados or with devotees of action cinema--and put the kiddies to bed, please.
34 great movie
I first became a fan of almodovar in Spanish class. We watched the his movie women on the edge of a nervous breakdown so I decided to see all about my mother when it came out. The movie is about a women whose son dies. After that event, she goes back to her home town and reconnects with some old friends. THe movie shows a varied cast of characters from a transexual prostitute to a pregnant nune. It's definetely worth seeing.
35 Refined, Outrageous and Still Almodovar
To like this movie requires understanding the world of Pedro Almodovar. His world is poetry, tragedy, and comedy, with a very particular and twisted way to see and interpret life.
Some black humor, and the ability to laugh at life's situations and overcome them.
This movie brings us twists in the fates of all the characters which are finally linked by one or more situations or persons. In this case, Manuela the lead character is the glue that touches everyone else.
This film embraces compassion, love, loyalty, will and strenghth; it starts with a woman looking for answers as she retraces her past. It ends with that same woman being more wise, and with a second chance for motherhood.
The acting is superb, the filming, the colors and the story has no equal.
This is a movie where you are crying and laughing at the same time, and let yourself feel vulnerable. It is easy to relate to Manuela's passion for living and caring, Agrado's joy of living and making herself more than "likeable", Sister Rosa's softness and warmth,and Huma's superficiality that blooms into loyalty and friendship.
This "family" of actresses work together like a clock, no one out shines the other and each has a unique quality that makes Pedro Almodovar a genius in his time.
Personally my favorite film.
36 A very poignant film about motherhood
All About My Mother is a very well written and thought provoking film. The film centers around the character of Manuela, a woman whom devotes her love and her life to her only child, Esteban. One night a car runs over her son , devestating her and causing her to reflect upon one of her sons wishes, to meet his father.
Esteban wrote in a journal which he kept by his side "This morning I looked through my mother's bedroom until I found a stack of photographs. All of them were cut in half. My father, I suppose. I have the impression that my life is missing that same half. I want to meet him, I don't care who he is, or how he treated my mother. No one can take that right away from me."
She never told Esteban who his father was, "your father died long before you were born" was all she ever told him. In memory of her son, Manuela leaves Madrid and goes to Barcelona in search of his father. We learn through the course of the film that she had met Esteban while playing Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. She left with Esteban, never telling the man about his son who she named after him before the man changed his name to Lola.
During the search, Manuela comes into contact with many characters and enriches each and every one of their lives. Without giving away too much of the film, the central character brings many people together and teaches the importance of being dedicated to your children and one another despite whatever may occur in this world. It also teaches a great deal about the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. The ending is both happy and hopeful.
37 Low Believability factor.
I tried - really I did! I tried to enjoy this film given the subject matter and some good reviews. It started out believable then quickly turned into a series of coincidences that I just couldn't swallow. The main character travels back to a life she led 20 years ago and meets a women who just happens to be in the middle of a situation that mirrors her's at that time and with the same man! In this film people enter each others lives out of nowhere and are immediately connected. A good director could have handled such plot turns more fluently.
I certainly don't want to give any of the film away and if you want to escape into a film without giving credence to reality then you'll enjoy this film.
I'm an actor/writer so I enjoyed the 'Streetcar' scenes.
Interesting plot. Very poor execution.
38 What A Joke!
I think this is one of those films that people think they are supposed to like so they jump on the band wagon without their brains. I kept waiting for the message, the point, or just a good story. What is this diretor trying to say? This movie is just a sequence of events and characters that enter into the life of the protagonist. You can say that for many good movies but this one doesn't make any sense. It is as if the director had a dream and decided to make it into a movie.
This movie proves that clever sets, colorful wardrobes, and good acting dont always equal remarkable movie. There is no alchemy here. In fact, there is no here here.
This is like modern art that your supposed to like because critics say so, but it is really a joke. View this movie objectively detached from it's critical contex and accomplished director, and you will be scratching you head wondering "What was that all about?. Two hours of your life down the tubes.
39 ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER!
Pedro Almodovar's moving and funny tribute to woman in a film that was universally acclaimed as the Best Foreign film of 1999! Manuela (Cecilia Roth) carefully hid the identity of her son's father, but when the boy is killed she searches for her former lover! This story is basically about the friendships she makes along the way! With Penelope Cruz as Sister Rosa, Marisa Paredes as Huma Rojo, Candela Pena as Nina and Antonia San Juan as Agrado! In Spanish with English sub-titles (the way it should be), this DVD also includes an interview with the director and production notes! A wonderful film that will have you crying your eyes out at the end!
40 Tragedy, irony, and melodrama side by side - a unique film!
As the saying goes, everyone has at least one performance in them: as themselves. "All About My Mother" is about characters who act both on and off the stage, since their lives are theatrical enough to blur the line. The films' heroines go through numerous tragic events, and yet, in a very strange way, this is an optimistic movie: hurtful happenings don't seem to leave scars, because everything that happens to the characters expresses who they are - their whole life is a play in which they play themselves. "All About My Mother" is a celebration of self-expression and introspection; I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Agrado, a transsexual prostitute, improvises a one-woman show to entertain a grumbling audience - she details her "touched-up" features, including the cost of each operation (rhinoplasty, jaw reduction, breast enhancement - the list goes on), finishing with the words "authenticity is how well your appearance matches your dreams." Thus, Agrado is perfectly "authentic" - she is happy with who she is.
Looking at a plot summary, one can easily conclude that "All About My Mother" is a tear-jerker, or at the very least a heavy-handed black comedy. Pedro Almodovar is a great director - it is neither. Manuela is an organ transplant coordinator at a Madrid medical center. Her seventeen-year-old Esteban is an aspiring writer. In his diary he writes: "I found a bundle of photos in my mother's drawer. All of them are missing a half. That is the half my life is missing as well." For his eighteenth birthday, his mother gives him tickets to a performance of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," starring the famous Huma Rojo. After the performance, Esteban races down the street to get the actress's autograph - and is hit by a car. Manuela cannot deal with her son's death, and boards a train to Barcelona on a quest to find the boy's father - perhaps to tell him that he had a son. In Barcelona, the city Manuela left eighteen years ago while carrying Esteban inside her (much like the heroine of "Streetcar"), she attempts to pick up her old life at the point where she left off - she moves in with Agrado, an old friend, and is soon caught up in a web of others' everyday tragedies no less poignant than her own. After a number of plot twists, she does find her son's father - a contemptible figure Almodovar does not demonize.
Filmed in bright, saturated colors, "All About My Mother" is a feel-good movie, but in a meaningful way. It contantly keeps the viewer on his toes: a comic moment can be interrupted by tragedy - are we expected to laught? to feel sadness? It is very much a women's film - or a film about women, but in a way that defies convention. It has subtle irony and humor, finds room for moments that blend poetry and lurid melodrama and a good deal of profanity (a bizzarre conversation between a nun, an acress, and Manuela is entirely about private parts), and deals astoundingly matter-of-factly with the sexual identities of the characters.
Overall, a fantastic film, wonderfully written and acted - absorbs the viewer and, by the end, returns him to our own, much more mundane world rejuvenated and refreshed.
41 BEAUTIFUL AND STRANGE
Pedro Almodovar never ceases to amaze with his ever more elaborate creative vision. Here, a woman loses her beloved teenage son. She has been rearing him alone since he was just a baby and has been working encouraging people to donate organs throughout this entire time. Then, as her son is dying, she is faced with the same dilemma-does she donate his organs? Of course. Eventually she cannot live the life she has lived up until that point and moves away from her flat and tries to find a new job, and indeed a new identity. She also half-heartedly searches for the son's father, but only "hints" are made about the father's whereabouts or identity. You do gather, though, that he is not the most savoury of creatures. But he is apparently irresistible.
On the road to changing her life, the woman meets the actress who is somewhat responsible for her son's death (the son tried to get the woman to sign an autograph, and she drove away; the son chased the woman's car without watching for other traffic and was struck down). Eventually the woman begins working for this actress and becomes a trusted friend. She also becomes a trusted friend to a nun (Penelope Cruz) who leaves her chosen profession because she was charmed irresistibly by the same man who was the father of the dead son. As a nun, this was of course forbidden, but she could not resist. As a result she not only becomes pregnant, she contracts HIV.
Overall the story is both comical and quite tragic. Probably the most serious of Almodovar films I have seen. Also, as with all Almodovar pictures, there is no way to describe them and do them justice. They must be seen to be believed.
42 I love this film
When I am feeling down in the dumps or just need a pick-me-up I often turn to Almodovar films. This one is one of my favorites. I would definitely put it in the top three or four of his films...the others being "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," "Kika," and "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down." This is a must see...
43 Masterpiece that wont please the masses
I recently saw this film with 3 friends and as usual they were shaking there heads in confusion and I was left in awwww of a modern classic . Cecila Roth once again gives another powerful performance ,my only complaint is I wish the wonderful goddess penelope cruz would be pickier about some of the movies she has done stateside
44 Almodovar's Best
Like all of Almodovar's movies this film offers beautiful colors and beautiful characters (have you noticed that even his ugly actors look beautiful in his films?). The music is part of the whole experience and even the credits seem to have dramatic presence. Dig that opening shot of the city of Barcelona while listening to Tajabone by Ismael Lo. Unlike Almodovar's older movies this one dares you to take it seriously on an emotional level and you find yourself doing just that even if the film contains characters fit for a Jerry Springer episode. According to this film we find ourselves involved in other people's lives simply because we care about them. In otherwords, you need not suffer alone. His characters would come off like a freak show in another director's hands but here they only come across as comical and endearing. This movie can be seen a tribute to those who believe in solidarity among sisterhood and all that is nuturing and feminine....in all its melodramatic glory.
45 Breathtaking - a Spanish masterpiece about everything!
An exploration of women and life as a whole, All About My Mother succeeds admirably in everything it tries to achieve. The drama is fascinating, displaying a real sense of emotion in the characters. There is some comic relief from very sad parts of the film that comes from the transsexual Agrada. The film also fulfils many other genres quietly - romance, adventure etc, and it makes all of them seem real. In fact, that is the word I would describe this movie the most with: real. The film is so fabulously right and I and many other viewers can relate to the characters and the situations, for some people it'd be like someone was following you around you're entire life and written a script just about you and it is, I repeat, real. The acting is brilliant, Cecelia Roth totally stealing the show as the mother of a dead son, Penelope Cruz giving great support in her best role as the HIV positive and pregnant sister Rosa. This is a film that you won't want to end, a simply magnificent movie that is not only one of the best films of 1999, but one of the best non-English films ever.
46 Beautiful
This is an amazing film that gets better every time I see it. The first time I saw it was in Spain, without English subtitles. I figured I had probably missed a significant part of the movie because my spanish is far from perfect, so I rented it as soon as I got back home to America. I've seen it again, and again, and it never gets old. The reason might be that the concept is so original. Beware all people who like only like safe, conventional American movies, this film is not for you. It's plot centers around homosexuals, transvestites, a pregnant nun, a drug-addicted actress, and just about anyone you might expect to see on Jerry Springer. Any one without a VERY open mind might be frightened, worried, "weirded out" etc. by this movie. Nevertheless, despite it's odd cast of characters the movie is really about concepts that are universal. Funny, shocking, dramatic, disturbing, powerful, this movie hits all the bases. You'll want to read Bodas de Sangre (Blood Weddings), a Street Car Named Desire, and watch All About Eve, just to get more of of thisspectacular movie. Almodovar is a genius, the cinematography is great, the plot amazing, what can I say, I love this movie.
47 Very moving
About 50 people told me I "must" see this movie, so of course I resisted! Finally, I got the video and watched it. Now I'm glad I watched it at home, because the emotional intensity of this film is overwhelming. I was in tears at many times. This movie took me back to a time in my life when I lost someone dear to me.
I know that some people may be put off by how unconventional the characters are, but the expressions of love and loss, of hope and despair, are universal.
Now the last thing you may expect from Almadovar is a movie about family, but this is it. It is about Manuela's love for her son, and then for the others who wander into her life and whom she takes in and cares for as family.
48 Almadovar at his best
Almadovar takes you to "his" world. It is a world where wonderful women, drag queens, policemen, etc live together in this wicked, funny, romantic, and sexy world. You can laugh and cry at the same time while watching his movies. I think this is his best movie. Almadovar matured and his style ripened. It is a must see....
49 Sub-Almodovar is still good Almodovar
Not as good as some other Almodovar films in my opinion but it has had wild success in N. America. It's certainly his most conventional film so far even though it is abound with the requisite transvestites and pregnant nuns. The obvious difference is that Almodovar pays tribute to women this time around whereas, in the past, he had fetishized them (which was something I, ever the sophisticate, didn't particularly mind). As per usual, Almodovar presents bizarre situations with bizarre characters and lets them play out in soap-opera-ish melodrama. It's kitschy and it's fun, as always.
50 Almodovar misses horribly with this one
I really like Pedro Almodovar's films, "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down" is a rauchy hilarious film, and All About My Mother is he most popular film. So I should like it? No way!
This film is full of stupid things that Almodovar seems to think are funny, but really aren't. The characters include pregnant transexual nuns and things that don't have any characterisation of motivation. It is poorly shot, poorly written, and even the presence of stunner Penelope Cruz can't save it.
I'm glad Almodovar is getting widespread praise, but this was an awful movie.
51 one of my favourite films
Almodovar seems to get better with each film he makes, which is impressive because I also love his previous films. This one, about a mother who, after losing her son in a car accident, goes to look for his father (now a transsexual - one of the things I love about Almodovar films is the abundance of characters on the edge of society, but treated with all the respect they should have in real life ), is definitely one of my favourite films. It's a very moving film, without becoming a Hollywood tearjerker. Somehow you're much more involved with the characters than with other films, and Celia Roth is just wonderful. Although an emotional film, there a plenty of scenes that really make you laugh. Buy it, I can't imagine you would be disappointed!
52 Almodovar plays his characters as a fine-tuned quartet
What Director Pedro Almodovar is able to get out of his actors is nothing short of greatness. This movie is a real stunner and the subject matter is off the wall, and that is what make's Almodovar the great Spanish Director he is...The story moves from, Barcelona to Madrid and back again, then back to Madrid.
Manuela (Cecilia Roth) is raising her son Esteban, (Eloy Azorin), he is seventeen and they are celebrating his birthday by taking in a stage play, (Streetcar Named Desire) After the show Esteban asks his mother to wait outside with him to get Huma Rojo's autograph (Marisa Paredes) she plays Blanche and does a great performance. They are standing in the rain across the street and finally Huma and her friend come out. They are already in the back of the taxi when Esteban puts his face and notebook to the window, Huma looks puzzled and is not aware of what Estefan wants, she looks out the back window and Esteban starts running to catch up with the taxi, and car comes from the side street and hits Esteban.
Thus starts the journey to Madrid to see if Manuela can find Esteban's father, who is a transvestite (Lola) and did not know Manuela was pregnant when she left him. Searching for Lola at a famous (on the outskirts of Madrid pickup place for sexual encounters) Manuela runs into an old friend, Agrado, (Antonia San Juan), who is a women playing a man who is playing a transvestite and she is fantastic. At one point Agrado does a scene on stage and wow's the audience with a rundown on how much money it has cost him to have implants, nose job, silicone injection's etc. it is quite funny.
The story gets complicated about this time and Manuela decides to stay in Madrid, works for Huma backstage for awhile and takes care of Penelope Cruz, (Sister Rosa)
Later all the pieces fit together and you are left with a feeling that you have seen one of the greatest film's of our time. There are those out there, who I'm sure, will be offended by some of the characters. But, if you can rise above your predisposed notions and do not mind reading caption's, then I say that you will be very entertained. I give this flick an a+...
53 Scattered and COnfusing
This movie was a big disappointment. It opens to hospital shots that have very little to do with anything. Hard to suspend disbelief on the bazaar situations and characters. No depth. It just flys from one bad scenario to another. Poor Script and poor execution. Mediocre editing. ANd finally the subtitles were so fast you dont have time to read them. There wasnt even a little sex to enjoy. ALL in ALL a real flopper.
54 quŽ maravilla
Esta es una pel’cula bonita por todos sus partes: el gui—n, los actores, el director, y especialmente la cinematograf’a. Almod—var, otra vez, ha creado una obra revolucionaria del cine. ÁViva Almod—var! C—mprala ahora mismo.
55 optimismo sin fin
una pelicula donde se muestra como el deseo de ser madre no tiene limites, donde se pueden respetar todas las tendencias, y aceptar a cada ser humano como es, sin juicios y sin perjuicios. Una pelicula donde todos tenemos mucho que aprender/
56 In praise of women.
Another fascinating film from Almodovar, with kinky characters, bright colours and superb performances. This one is about Manuela (Cecilia Roth), a single mother, and how she strives to come to terms with the death of her beloved eighteen year old son who, before her very eyes, is run over and killed instantly by a passing car. Her screech of horror is blood curdling.
They have just been to see a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." to celebrate her son's birthday and are waiting outside the theatre in the pouring rain to get the autograph of Huma Roja (Marisa Paredes), the star of the play. But she comes out of the theatre too quickly, getting into the taxi, with her drug-addicted lover Nina (Candela Pina), and driving off before he can reach her. It is when he is chasing after her taxi in desperation that the tragic accident happens.
When Manuela is able to pull herself together, she decides to go back to Barcelona to give news of the death to her son's father who knows nothing of his son's existence. She left him all those years ago because he was HIV-positive, a transsexual and a prostitute. Twenty years later she finds him near to death with an Aids related illness, having sometime before passed on the virus to sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz), a beautiful nun social-worker who shortly afterwards dies giving birth to his son (A beautiful nun going to bed with a transsexual prostitute? I suppose anything's possible. But what does it say about him?). Manuela has only known Rosa for a short time but shows what a stunningly good person she is by spending every moment taking care of her in her last illness; and afterwards adopting her son and taking him back with her to Madrid. On the way to the hospital Rosa asks for the taxi to stop while she takes one last look at Barcelona's beautiful main square. A moving moment.
Manuela was introduced to Rosa by Agrado (Antonia San Juan) an old friend who is also a transsexual and a prostitute and who when we first see her is about to be raped. Manuela leaps to her rescue, whacking her assailant over the head with a heavy piece of wood. Agrado then takes her in search of her son's father to a prostitute's work station, where, in the middle of a great field, a drove of cars drives around in circles
Almodovar always peoples his films with an array of oddball outsiders - usually women, or men wanting to be women - viewing them habitually through benevolent eyes. He obviously loves women. He thinks they are much better than men, that they make better friends, that they are better able to confide in each other, to share their feelings and emotions and talk about things that really matter. And this film is a paean to that belief. The warmth and friendship these women show to each other is something to behold. And so a film containing three tragic deaths and which should by every expectation be sombre and depressing, is turned into a heart-warming, uplifting ode to the strength of the human spirit. It contains at least one memorable quote. Huma Roja says at one point, " I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
57 A Visually Beautiful & Emotionally Charging Film
"All About My Mother" is simply divine. The story of a woman going in search of her ex-husband, also father of her son and meeting a group of neurotic women on the way only to act as a mother figure to all of them--is stunning.
Cecilia Roth's performance as the lead, Manuela, is driven, passionate, and raw. Penelope Cruz's troubled nun Rosa is young, sweet, and hopeful, even in the midst of complete despair. As Huma Rojo, Marisa Paredes gives a first-class performance as a Dramatic Diva whose love for her ruthless costar Nina (who is "hooked on junk") motivates all of her dying emotions. And Antonia San Juan offers both comic relief and some self-esteem lessons to us all as the lovable transvestite La Agrado. And Manuela's doomed son, Esteban (the performer's name escpaes me) gives a gut wrenching, beautiful portrayal of the dreamer inside of all us.
As for Almodovar's work--how visually stunning the cinematography is--obviously orchestrated to pull out every ounce of color, the dominant red and blue hues in the film set a tone of sadness, fury, passion, and distress.
By the end of this film, there is so much to be said in terms of its themes and references to such classic films/theatrical shows such as "All About Eve," an obvious sketch for the theatrical life in the show, and "A Streetcar Named Desire" is an outlet in many ways for all of the characters--but there are so many routes to take in analyzing this film...it is full of love, hate, loss, motherhood, and friendship. Definitely recommended to all of you out there who have feelings.
58 Even better with repeated viewings!
Sometimes exploring a film in the undisturbed quiet of your home reveals much more about that film than a first encounter in the Movie Theater. Such is definitely the case with Almadovar's exquisite little masterpiece, "All About My Mother". Seeing the movie in the theater invovled an overlay of audience reaction that covers just how compelling this story is. Inapropriate laughter from fellow attendees when transvestism, pregnant nuns, diva turns by aging actresses made the movie seem strangely bawdy, even comedic. Without the interference from mindless movie goers who bring to a film all of their behavioural dysfunctions and attitudes - without all that, Almadovar's genius shines through. Brilliant performances by a stunning cast bring to life this drama of loneliness, prejudice, homphobia, private and public pain, alternative life style, the aging female, etc. all presented in such a unique setting that leaves you weak with respect for this directors talent. On the DVD is a very fine interview with Almadovar (in English - the film is in Spanish) that for once is an addendum that enhances the next viewing of the film. Highly recommended.
59 A little too pleased with itself
Barely passable, since most of the people in the film just seemed to be so self-satisfied and in love with themselves for accepting gender-bending and modern liberal sexual mores. It takes more than that to make a good movie. I just had the constant feeling that with all these actors flaunting their sexual liberation in my direction, I was supposed to fall to the ground and repeat "I'm not worthy" over and over. It made the typically gay pretension of mistaking "avant-garde" posturing for substance. Dumbly shallow. Almodovar's worst, I think.
60 WOW! "Women" Of the World
An amazing sequence of events... Women! Men who want to be women!? Confused? Don't be...enjoy the wonderfully eccentric (bizarre?) characters in this 1999 Academy Award Winner. FANTASTIC!!
61 Aldomovar comes of age
The various reviews give a very good and accurate impression of the film, including the fine synopsis by the editors of Amazon. Since there is not much to add I choose to review this more as an endorsement of a fine movie and encourage others to explore the richness of foreign cinema, to seek out the gems that exist outside of Hollywood, like this movie. The actors are all superb in this feature and the complex characters are portrayed with hman warmth. Although they are tragic and funny one does not laugh at them but with them as they point out their own fralities. The genius of Aldomovaar is back(did he ever leave?) with a grand cast of wierd characters that paint a picture of the "other" side of life. The story evolves around a mother who leaves to find her x and in the process becomes involved with a strange array of people who she helps who in turn help her with her own personal grief over the tragic loss of her son. That so many strange and colorful people could be all lumped together in one plot makes for the classic Aldomovar film. Alodomovar, with a knack for portrayl of the perverse as ordinary, is a master at convincing the audience of the authenticity of the cast. The drag queens, transvestites and assorted other "outcasts' of mainstream society are given tremendous life and a voyeuristic view of the sub culture with dignity given the often tragic results of the lifestyle. If you have an open mind, can handle the issue of AIDS, a wayward Catholic nun, portrayed marvelously by Peneloupe Cruz, lesbians, assorted other he-shes and death than enjoy this movie for a slice of life that makes "Pink Flamingoes" look like a Disney flick. Aldomovar likes to shock his audience but this production has a professional quality that reveals the growth of the director that rivals more mainstream cinema while maintaining its razor sharp edge. As always, Aldomaovar delivers a hilarious movie given the often somber subject matter, keeping the audience aware that given the seriousness of life we all have to maintain a degree of levity and enjoy the precious moments.
62 Potentially good but confusing
What turned me off about this film was its flaunting of alternative sexualities, prostitution, plastic surgery, drag queens, and AIDS. Now, I am not trying to sound moralistic here. I do not find these things morally reprehensible. However, it seemed to me that the director assumed that we were supposed to be very cultured in the alternate sexualities and lifestyles presented. I, as a viewer, who has not had exposure to these subjects, therefore felt confused when bombarded by them. Casual dialogue describing the various techniques of oral sex, sex-change operations, and plastic surgery enhancement left me scratching my head. However, my ignorance in these matters doesn't mean the film is bad - it simply means that I can't enjoy it because there's so much that I don't understand. With that in mind, do not take this review to mean that the film is ultimately not a good one. However, do consider that if you are unfamiliar with the culture in which it immersed, you may enjoy it as little as I have.
63 A Great Spanish Film and Director Steal Americans' Hearts
I do not have this exact version of the movie, but the original Spanish one ("Todo Sobre Mi Madre") that I bought in Spain. However, they are probably a lot alike and the Spanish version isn't listed on Amazon so I will review this one anyway. :) This movie is fantastic. Pedro Almovadar is in my opinion one of the best directors in the world. I was so glad when he won the award for best foreign film, because he totally deserves it, if only on the basis of this film if not for his other ones. The movie is extremely well-directed and well-acted. It shows the many different angles and perspectives on life, and has many deep implications. It is intensely sad and moving, and I guarantee that you will think a lot about it for a long time after you watch it. The plot is captivating and complex, so you will want to own the DVD and watch it more than once. The film also has great actors, starring the Spanish beauties Cecilia Roth and Penelope Cruz (who is now crossing over to Hollywood with her new movie, Woman on Top). I am glad that Pedro Almovadar's popularity has caught on in the States, for this is a director worthy of praise from all film lovers, and his talent surpasses that of many American directors. This is my favorite Spanish film (and there are a lot of good, if hard to find, ones out there), and one of my favorite films in any category. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a refreshingly unique and complex look at life and who wants to see many different aspects of it successfully explored on film.
64 Almodovar Ascending
The release of director Pedro Almodovar's "Live Flesh" saw the emergence of a more mature, confident side of his creativity. With "All About My Mother," it can now be said with certainty that his previous effort was no fluke. The entire cast, though particularly Cecilia Roth, perfectly embody the characters they play. From the opening scene to the last, one freely ventures on the journey Roth takes in giving meaning to her life after tragedy. Perhaps the melodramtic elements that are present come to the fore in a way that's a little too noticeable at times, but this relatively minor quibble in no way detracts from the pleasure found in viewing the film.
65 Reading Subtitles
I've never watched a foreign film before. It was difficult on my little portable DVD player to read the subtitles, but I loved the movie! Worth it!
66 'Mother' marks Almodovar's masterpiece
Spanish maverick Pedro Almodovar isn't known for his subtlety or maturity, yet both traits find their place among his usual shenanigans in "All About My Mother," a celebration of femininity and maternalcy. After her teenage son is killed right in front of her, the luminous Cecelia Roth makes her way through Spain, struggling for a reason to keep on going. She finds more than one, as Almodovar plunges head first into the mammoth movie mysteries of understanding a woman.
67 this film is unbelievable!
Oh! This film is so moving! It had me on pins and needles the whole time I was watching. The performances are perfect; there are no weak links. This film should have been up for best picture rather than best foreign. "American Beauty" was a wonderful film, but this was better by far. It actually hurt to watch parts of the film, in fact, it took my breath away. That is what a truly fine film can do. I hope this film moves you as well.
68 Great Foreign Film
I have a love hate relationship with foreign films. I either love them or hate them. This is one pf the best movies I have seen in along time. Too many americans are afraid to try something they know nothing about. This movie "thinks out side the box." There is a surprise at every turn. The next time your are at the video store pick this one up. I bet it will be on the shelf. America open your mind.
69 Complex and unconventional, but a great film.
Pedro Almodovar has a tendency to take the bizarre and make his audience identify with it. The main characters of this film are transsexual prostitutes, a drug-addled lesbian actress and her older lover, and a single mother who is seeking to find the whereabouts of her dead son's father (who is one of the above!). The pretenses are way out there, but the story is neatly tied together at the end. Almodovar, who is known for other films with strange subject matter, does not disappoint. The acting is superb, and the comic moments are plentiful. Watch for "La Agrado" - she's a trip, a la Hank Azaria in The Birdcage. I highly recommend the DVD, with an English interview with the writer/director.
70 WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES FOR A TWISTED PLOT.
Another excellent masterpiece by the one an only Almodovar, this film is quite darker than his previous movies. However, the twisted plot is there as always, as well as the unexpected ending and wonderful acting. Cecilia Roth does a great performance as the dramatic Manuela, who loses her only son to a car accident while chasing after the theater star "Huma Rojo", played by Marisa Paredes, whose glamour and beauty make her ideal for this role. However, the real star is Antonia San Juan, who literally steals the show whenever she is on screen. Her character lightens up the somewhat sad story with her witty remarks and "perverse" naivete. Also Penelope Cruz makes a great performance of "Rosa", a nun who gets pregnant by another prostitute who happens to also be the father of Manuela's child. However, the fact of her wanting to travel to El Salvador to help in the war is quite inaccurate, as the war in that country has been over for ten years now, unless the story was supposed to take place in the 80's but who knows, they never clarify that. Overall, it's a great movie and a "must see", not suitable for the closed minded, though.
71 Controversial but still still lukewarm
Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar, this Spanish film is a comedy-drama which pushes the envelope on controversial themes and introduces some memorable characters.
All of the roles are excellent and the acting is outstanding. And I can understand why it has been nominated as one of the best foreign films of 1999.
However, in spite of my appreciation for it as an art form, I just couldn't get into it. I didn't feel an emotional tug and found myself bored and looking at my watch during its 105 minutes on the screen. To me, it was merely a soap opera even though the characters were outrageous.
I know that many people will enjoy this movie, but I can only give it a lukewarm recommendation.
72 Wonderfully, Almodovar!
A shocking, passionate, and at times funny story from Barcelona. Cecilia Roth and Marisa Paredes are each dynamic. Having seen Women on the verge......and Tie me up, Tie me down, this is my favorite to date. The story of a women's loss of her 17 year old son brings you into her somewhat dark past. What you will discover is not what you might expect. This is such a moving piece, it pulls you right in. A typical triumphant work of art by Pedro Almodovar.I highly recommend you run to rent or own.
73 Mami Dearest
I never watch film with subtitles for the obivous annoying reasons but something drew me to this film and I am thankful for the wonderful experience. This film was visually rich and stylish, complex and wonderfully acted. It was a character study about motherhood and womanhood and all the delicacies, heart aches and confusion inbetween. I'm not sure what Almodovar's obsession is with drag queens but he's sprinkled a few around to add to the mix yet it suffers in the film, making it feel to slapstick at times. But that's it's only fall. Otherwise its a gripping beautifully toned story about the love of our mothers and the pain of their journeys.
74 The best film Spain has produced in recent years...
If you thought "Jamon, Jamon" was good, wait 'till you see this one. This film lets you see the other side of Spain you hadn't seen before, but the feel of this movie is very familiar. You can't miss that nostalgic, warm, and often raw feeling found in many of these spanish dramas. The storyline in this film has a subtle yet noticible Lorca-like mix of sensations. There is definitely no doubt as to why Almod—var picked people like Cecilia and PenŽlope to star in this movie for a good reason--the film has spanish beauty and emotion written all over it. You can find it here at Amazon for about $20.00 in DVD...you can't go wrong. A must in your spanish-film collection!
75 Almod—var Creates His Masterwork
At last, Almod—var has created his masterwork with "All About Mother", a film that combines such universal themes as familial bonding, grief, and forgiveness while including a wicked sense of humor. Almod—var tells the story of a mother coming to terms with the death of her son and her quest to find his father with an amazing sensitivity. The film captures beautifully the strong bond that mothers and sons form when they are all they have. The sequence in which Manuela deals with the news of her son's death is harrowing and extremely touching. The scenes in which Manuela acts in service announcements about organ donation reminded me a lot of the opening scene of another Almod—var film, "The Flower of My Secret". One particularly enjoyable scene is the one in which La Agrado, Manuela's pre-op transexual friend, tells an entire theater audience about her life, including how much each surgically enhanced body part has cost her. There's a really funny line in that scene, which goes something like, "It costs a lot to be genuine". To fully enjoy and appreciate "All About My Mother", one should see it a few times, because each viewing brings a better understanding of Almod—var's intricate script. For example, it wasn't until the second viewing that I recognized that the scene that Huma de Rojo rehearses at the end of the film is from Frederico Garc’a Lorca's play, "Bodas de Sangre". In that particular scene from the play, there is a monologue that relates really well to the theme of the entire movie. The character giving the monologue is a mother who has seen her child die. Her monologue is about the horror that any mother feels upon seeing the blood of her child on the ground, because that blood belongs to her. Manuela's grief in the wake of her son's tragic death is of the same kind. For those who decide to watch "All About My Mother" and really enjoy it, I strongly recommend seeing Almod—var's other films, especially "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", "High Heels" and "Live Flesh".
76 Masterpiece, Almodovar's Best, A Foreign Treat!
With this one Almodovar has proven himself to be the best and most original Spanish filmmaker since Bu–uel. Almodovar has always impressed us with his boldly original films that possess a darkly comedic edge that have become his trademark. This is his best film yet, even though his 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' is also a masterpiece in it's own sense. More dramatically successful and less comic oriented than his past films, even though it still has its funny moments. The film is populated lesbians, prostitutes, transvestites and pregnant nuns, seems like something right out of a Fellini or Bu–uel movie. The whole cast, dominated by women, is excellent, one of the best example of ensemble acting in recent foreign films. Cecilia Roth delivers a powerhouse performance as a loving mother who tragically looses her son in a senseless car accident (in a powerful and beautiful scene). This leads her to go back to Madrid to try to start a new life. There she meets Huma, an actress playing Blanche DuBois in a Spanish version of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and becomes her understudy. This portion of the plot is an ode to Mankiewicz's 'All About Eve', the film itself is dedicated to the actresses in general and Bette Davis in particular amongst other people. But fortunately Almodovar does not concentrate on that subplot but focuses on the big picture. Marisa Paredes shines as the aging actress. Penelope Cruz, who is only recently becoming a sensation in Hollywood, is heartbreaking as a nun who gets pregnant and unfortunately gets infected with AIDS. Antonia San Juan is very funny as Agrado, a sweet-natured transvestite who 'aims to please', she has some very funny lines and the scene where she gives her monologue is strangely moving. But still, Almodovar managed to keep a surrealist air in some of his scenes, for example, when Cecilia Roth first arrives in Madrid and is taken to where the prostitutes hang out. A beautiful dreamlike dance ensues with beautiful music and perfect rhythm. Near the end we meet the father of Cecilia Roth's dead son and the man who impregnated Penelope Cruz. We aren't surprised to see a man with a pair of breasts and we don't blame him for infecting her with AIDS. We see a confused pain-stricken man that went through a lot and now, as he is about to die, is willing to try and mend his mistakes. The scene in the restaurant where he is holding his newborn son and sees a picture of his dead son is powerfully moving. Almodovar could have easily ended the picture with an unsettling and sad ending but he went for the happy ending. This satisfying crowd-pleasing ending surprisingly doesn't seem artificial and actually works, leaving us feeling secure about these characters. A great film and a huge step for Spanish cinema. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!
77 Una obra de belleza y humanidad
Pedro Almodovar's film "Todo Sobre Mi Madre" just blew me away when I first saw it in a seedy little Parisian movie theater. I had heard so much about, but had not had the chance to see it. When I finally did see it, I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.
In a country where films are the same lame story repeated over and over again with cast changes, I was happy to see that this film was appreciated and gained recognition through it's astounding performances and story. This is a must for anyone who appreciates film.
78 Colorful, bittersweet....
I first discovered Almodovar because I was taking Spanish and my tutor recommended I watch Spanish-language films. Since then, I have become a fan of this Spanish director. Some of his films have made me laugh like crazy, who can forget those "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" (I've seen it six times--it's a must for any woman who has had a cheating spouse-boyfriend) or the sexy "High Heels" (seen this one lots of times too--need to practice that Spanish!). "All About My Mother" is a continuation along his theme--women in crises--and in fact he dedicates this film to them. Almodovar is a man who loves, appreciates, respects, and admires women, and he has several of the best actresses in the world working with him (great guys too--he filmed Antonio Banduras on several occasions; though he's not in this film, several very good male actors are).
That being said, I feel compelled to warn anyone who has ever lost a child--this may be a very difficult film to watch. My husband lost a son 25 years ago, and he walked out of this film in the first five minutes. And, he's a counselor who has worked with grief.
There are some funny moments in this film, but it's hard to laugh because too much of what Almodovar puts on the screen is really real. People behave in the ways he describes. I've known a few transvestites, prostitutes, nuns, actresses, drug addicts, etc. and Almodovar must have known a few too, because he has captured them well. Too often films depict these people as despictable or odd, when they are amazingly human and behave like you and me in many ways--they shop, they cook they eat. They often have children of their own, have senile relatives, have money problems or not, have regrets, have friends, and sometimes have plastic surgery. (And before you say you've never done that, remember, crowns, caps and permanent partial plates of false teeth count).
I honestly couldn't follow the film completely, partly because my Spanish is still not perfect (can't find and English track--you better check the statistics up top) and partly because the story is complex. So I figured I would sit back, go along for the ride, and watch it six more times in the future. In the meantime, I hope someone gets Almodovar's other films out on DVD.
79 Visual, Moving Masterpiece
"Todo Sobre Mi Madre," or "All About My Mother," revolves around the life of an organ transplant coordinator, Manuela, who was briefly shown in one of Almodovar's most recent movie "The Flower of My Secret". After the death of her only child, Manuela sets off from Madrid to Barcelona to find both his father and the traveling troupe who performs "A Streetcar Named Desire," throughout Spain.
Argentinian actress Cecilia Roth is both excellent and convincing as Manuela. Her performance for an actress not from Spain is original, since most of Almodovar's leading startlets are Spaniards. Marisa Paredes as Huma, a fading starlet, reminded me of her performance in "High Heels," wher she played a similar character. However the two emerging standouts in this film are Antonia San Juan as Manuela's drag-queen friend (fact: although she looks like a man, San Juan is actually a woman) and the beautiful Penelope Cruz, who plays a HIV-positive pregnant nun (only Almodovar can bring us such characters). Cruz, who radiates natural beauty and style has become Spain hottest export to Hollywood since Antonio Banderas. Keep an eye out for her in the near future.
The visual arrangement of colors, patterns, and clothes brings the film so much beauty it is unbearable not to watch and adore it. Almodovar's camera illusions, especially watching a grieving Manuela run to her injured son, Esteban, after he is struck by a car (the camera looks like if the victim is watching his mother run in the rain) and the trick of watching Esteban write in his journal (we see his pencil move through a glass that is supposed to be his pad) is amazing. Only the pure genius that Almodovar is could have thought of this.
This happens to be Almdovar's best film in the past 10 years. Truly, if you are an artist, an admirer of Spanish culture, or just love art films, then this film will fascinate you. A true gem in the evolution of Spanish cinema.
80 Visual, Moving Masterpiece
"Todo Sobre Mi Madre," or "All About My Mother," revolves around the life of an organ transplant coordinator, Manuela, who was briefly shown in one of Almodovar's most recent movie "The Flower of My Secret". After the death of her only child, Manuela sets off from Madrid to Barcelona to find both his father and the traveling troupe who performs "A Streetcar Named Desire," throughout Spain.
Argentinian actress Cecilia Roth is both excellent and convincing as Manuela. Her performance for an actress not from Spain is original, since most of Almodovar's leading startlets are Spaniards. Marisa Paredes as Huma, a fading starlet, reminded me of her performance in "High Heels," wher she played a similar character. However the two emerging standouts in this film are Antonia San Juan as Manuela's drag-queen friend (fact: although she looks like a man, San Juan is actually a woman) and the beautiful Penelope Cruz, who plays a HIV-positive pregnant nun (only Almodovar can bring us such characters). Cruz, who radiates natural beauty and style has become Spain hottest export to Hollywood since Antonio Banderas. Keep an eye out for her in the near future.
The visual arrangement of colors, patterns, and clothes brings the film so much beauty it is unbearable not to watch and adore it. Almodovar's camera illusions, especially watching a grieving Manuela run to her injured son, Esteban, after he is struck by a car (the camera looks like if the victim is watching his mother run in the rain) and the trick of watching Esteban write in his journal (we see his pencil move through a glass that is supposed to be his pad) is amazing. Only the pure genius that Almodovar is could have thought of this.
This happens to be Almdovar's best film in the past 10 years. Truly, if you are an artist, an admirer of Spanish culture, or just love art films, then this film will fascinate you. A true gem in the evolution of Spanish cinema.
81 Todo Sobre mi Madre
Excelent movie. Very funny, you have to be from Spain to get it!
82 All about real
What a gorgeous movie this is. I remember when I first saw it 2 years ago in Barcelona where I am originally from. I cried and cried, and laughed and laughed throughout the whole experience. I have seen the movie 8 times (I just received the DVD from Amazon.com and saw it again) and I just do NOT get tired of it. Cecilia Roth is absolutely amazing, Marisa Paredes plays such a colorful and intriguing Theatre Diva, Antonia San Juan is simply fantastic and every single character in the movie adds to the richness of the 2 hours. I Love Penelope Cruz as a person and actress, what a magnificent opportunity to see her in a role so simple and so wonderfully played.
What can I say? I guess I really liked this movie. I hope you see it soon if you havent already. If you speak Spanish and if you have spent some time in Spain, you will enjoy it even more and, by far, you will find it a lot funnier.
83 all about chauvinism
The coincidences in this film piled up a mile high.And what is it with this so called great director's attitude toward men,he has outright contempt for them.The men in the film or the ones that are referred to are either ineffectual,sex-crazed,invisible,burdensome,transexual(which,in the context of this film makes you an authority on men and women)or just downright evil.There is such a dearth of quality American cinema that a contrived,pretentious,female chauvinistic film such as this can win an academy award.Just imagine if the roles were reversed and women were the objects of hatred in this film.N.O.W. would picket the movie every night it showed.Boogie Nights was lambasted for it's frank depiction of the porno industry and it's frequent use of "colorful metaphors",but this film is praised and it's just as dirty or even worse when it comes to dialogue.I guess if you say it in another language it's considered art,but if you say it in english it's considered dirty or controversial.That's one of the double standards when it comes to foreign films.Don't be fooled by the high production values or the sympathetic characters in this film,it's all an assault on men that Patricia Ireland would be proud of.I recommend you see this film if only to see if you agree.
84 One of the best of 1999
All About My Mother was a truely entertaing peice of film. To have a film dealing with a transvestite, a pregnant nun, a strange actress, and a grieving mother, it must have been very challenging to make it entertaing. It could of been allot worse from some directors but Pedro Almodovar pulled it off. Even if you have read the subtitles at the bottom of the screen to get it, it's worth it. This film is a real stand out from the rest of 1999's realeses 'cause of it's stellar preformances but above all the story.
Overall, All About My Mother was very dramatic, at times, very funny, and very moving. Buy it now!
85 His Best Ever!
It's really a compelling and dramatic movie. One of the best I've seen. It's definetely Almodovar's best film ever. I recommended to anyone who really loves good storytelling and extraordinary filmmaking.
86 All about Pedro
Due to many years of Franco dictatorship, Spain missed most of the revolutionary youth culture of the 60's and 70's. Just like magic, Spain flourished after the tyrant died, however, there were many voices and issues kept underground after all those shocking years. All around the country artists chose to express themselves in a very unique fashion and while the 80's are generally regarded as a cheesy period by the English and the Americans, for the Spaniards, "la movida" meant that they were finally free to be the colorful and magnificent country that they have always been without any self imposed restrictions. Pedro Almodovar, tested their much cherished freedom of speech like no other, giving a voice to an underworld of travesties, gays and outcasts with much more intelligence and humor than say John Waters. Matador and the Law of Desire are easily two of funniest and more influential films of the 80's that stretched the standards of a narrow minded movie industry, not only Spain but all around the world. His early films don't offer any sings of formal training but the barroque-kitch imagery and his absurdist, witty and often obnoxious dialogues, could easily make you forget the amateurish shooting. The problem was that by "Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown" he seemed dry out of any new ideas, hence he spent most of the nineties filming mediocre stuff like Kika. Just when every one was writing him off, he filmed "Live flesh" which showed hints of a rebirth. He dropped the kitsch, he used a more logical plot and the characters were given room to say something by avoiding the cheap jokes of the previous shallow efforts. Still these were no sings that he would come with such a masterpiece as "All about my mother". Now a really accomplished director, Almodovar used again some of his surreal characters but this time he shows them with a warmer view, specially Cecilia Roth who displays so much compassion and love, that she immediately became one of my favorite characters in any movie ever. "All about my mother is about death, birth, love and loss, and everything is addressed in an optimistic way and with a charming sense of humor. Almodovar has always been good at creating drama by showing confused characters, but on all his previous efforts he buried them with surreal situations that distract the viewer form the real internal conflict. This time, Cecilila is surrounded by a travesty, a lesbian actress whose lover is a junkie and a former nun pregnant from a junkie travesty, yet the outcome is deadly touching and that is the magic of the film, that it combines early Almodovar wilderness with a strong narrative and great performances from all actors. The cast is great and they are given a wide space to shine. This time around the dialogues are very well chosen mixing the tragic and the comic with an ease that only "American Beauty" has matched in recent times. The whole cinematography is stunning, from costumes to tapestries, there is a strange mixing of colors and different angles that make the movie as delightful to eye as much as it is to the mind.
It is great to see that after 20 years, Almodovar is still around actually getting better, I eagerly wait for his next step..
87 Sad and Beautiful and Unforgettable Masterpiece
In this extraordinary motion picture, Senor Almodovar has taken quirky characters and screwball situations and not played them for cheap laughs. This is one of the most beautiful films I've ever experienced. I know a few filmmakers out in Hollywood who could learn a few things from this unpredictable and superbly acted masterpiece. Great! 1999 produced a lot of outstanding motion pictures, but only a few managed to bring tears to my bleary eyes. This was one of them. Don't you dare miss it.
88 Almodovar's Greatest work! The pinnacle of Foregin Films.
A director has reached the top of his profession when he is referred to by one name alone (Ex: Spielberg, Coppola, and Scorcesse). Pedro Almodovar has reached that point in his career and his latest film, All About My Mother, has secured his place among the greatest directors of his generation; not only in his native Spain but also all over the world.
A splendid cast headed by Argentinean actress Cecilia Roth, legendary Spanish actress Marissa Paredes and younger stars Penelope Cruz and Candela Pe–a turns this film into the meeting of two era's of the Spanish cinema.
Manuela, a single young mother (Cecilia Roth) loses her son to an auto accident after seeing a production of A Street Car Named Desire starring Huma Rojo (Marissa Paredes) on his birthday.
Destroyed by the death of her son, Manuela travels from Madrid to Barcelona to find the boy's father and tell him that when she left him nearly two decades before she was pregnant with his child who was now dead.
Upon arriving in Barcelona, Manuela accidentally reunites with La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), a transsexual friend who she left behind when she fled from Barcelona so many years ago. La Agrado in turn introduces her to Sister Rosa (Penelope Cruz), a nun who becomes very close to Manuela. When Sister Rosa is taken ill it is Manuela who cares for her, and becomes somewhat her surrogate mother while still trying to deal with the loss of her own son.
While in Barcelona she goes to see A Streetcar Named Desire starring Huma Rojo, the actress who had left her son so impressed when they saw it Madrid. One thing leads to another and Manuela starts working as Huma's personal assistant, trying to keep her life in order and trying to keep Nina (Huma's Lesbian heroine addict lover) under control.
Add to the pot the birth of a baby, a funeral, AIDS, and a dear old man with Alzheimer's and you have one of the greatest Spanish language films ever made, portraying subjects that only American Directors like Quentin Tarantino may be brave enough to tackle.
The most Humorous scenes involve the transsexual La Agrado as she recalls her days of prostitution and the expenses of her cosmetic surgery.
Cecilia Roth's performance as Manuela is extraordinary and Penelope Cruz's portrayal of Sister Rosa makes it obvious as to why Vanity Fair chose her as one of the hottest youngest actresses of her generation.
I would be remiss and an out right idiot if I did not mention Marissa Paredes as Huma Rojo. Paredes is not a classic beauty but has the legendary quality and glamour that made Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, and Joan Crawford stars. When on the screen she steals the show.
Fans of Almodovar will be elated by his latest offering. I recommend the film if only for the scenery of Barcelona. Offering the best mix of Drama and Comedy, Almodovar has out done himself once again. It is easy to see why the film received Best film at The Cannes Film Festival as well as The Academy Award's Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
Also by Almodovar I recommend High Heels (also with Marissa Paredes) and Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown.
89 Almodovar at his best!
Spanish directing sensation Pedro Almodovar is constantly changing and experimenting with the modes of modern cinema and his brillance can be seen in this picture. I was over in Madrid studying for four months and saw this picture almost 10 times! The story is both touching and hillarious and the actresses, especially Cecilia Roth, are outstanding! Each actress does their job in portraying the complex characters Almodovar has created. Anybody who is not touched by this film is not human!
90 Forget it's in spanish, watch it anyway!
Even i can't stand watching a movie in spanish, and that's coming from a man who was born in South America. But i do recognize a fine movie, no matter what the language. "All About my Mother" is a comedy-drama about the mother who lost her only son, the way she manages to go on, and at the same time reviving her past with rare characters that have somehow affected her life. Pedro Almodovar adds his famous "underground sex-type style touch", making the movie much funnier and interesting. Really, if you just want to see a good movie, and perhaps one that differs from your average rentals, then don't think it twice. Besides, hey, it won Best Foreign Picture in the Academy Awards. Afterwords, if you liked watching a movie while reading the english subtitles, the I highly (*****) recommend the suspense thriller "Open Your Eyes" (Abre Los Ojos), another Spaniard movie...ole!
91 Todo Sobre Mi Coraz—n, Todo Sobre Mi Madre
Descubr’ esta pel’cula cuando vino a los teatros en Canad‡. Tristemente, ten’a solamente uno el mostrar. Era afortunado, y ten’a la ocasi—n de visi—n la dos veces, en otra ciudad. Era la primera vez que vi cualquier cosa de Perdo Almod—var, y gocŽ de Žl mucho. Entonces mirŽ otras pel’culas que Žl dirigi—. ƒl es el director m‡s talentoso que he visto, y sus pel’culas pintan im‡genes hermosas de Espa–a y de sociedades hisp‡nicas. Cecilia Roth es asombroso. Ella que actœa en esta pel’cula es tambiŽn excepcional. ÁM’rela!
92 Otra vez, de segunda lengua
As much mainstream appeal as most foreign films about drag queens have, this probably won't reach the U.S. masses, and that's a real shame. This has all the makings of the really wacky blockbusters that do so well here, given that they've got big stars and don't go too far. This may just do that at times, and no one over here has heard of any of the fine actors in it. To stack the odds further, the film is smart, irreverent, and not the viewer-catering inspiration that we so prefer. In fact it's downright sad sometimes (i.e. getting killed by a taxi, aging, and dying of AIDS). Throughout it all, however, this emerges as an absolutely hilarious film. Buy it to scare some compassion into your closed-minded friends.
93 truculencia que vale la pena
Nunca he sido gran admiradora de la obra de Almod?var; me parece que esta sobrevalorada y que despu?s de "Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios" ninguna de sus pel?culas ha valido la pena. ?Por qu?? Son melodr?maticas y efectistas. Por eso v? con cierto recelo "Todo sobre mi madre" ?C?mo me iba a enfrentar con tanta truculencia Almodovariana? Una mujer pierde a su hermos?simo hijo adolescente en un accidente de tr?nsito y como ?nica forma de consuelo resuelve buscar al padre de su hijo, un transformista, en la Barcelona de su juventud, reencontr?ndose con una amiga transformista quien a su vez la acerca a una bella monja embarazada afectada por el sida. Y como si no hubiera suficiente truculencia, en Barcelona conoce a la diva lesbiana, culpable indirecta de la muerte de su hijo. ?Qu? les puedo decir? Me encant?. Esta hermosa pel?cula sobre la solidaridad femenina es una de las mejores obras de su director donde todos los elementos parecen funcionar, principalmente impulsados por las tremendas actuaciones de todas y cada una de las estrellas, siendo Cecilia Roth en el papel de Helena la columna vertebral de la pel?cula. Esta pel?cula es m?s que un homenaje de Almod?var a las mujeres de su vida, tambi?n es un homenaje al cine y al teatro y a todo lo hermoso que tiene la vida. Por eso a los esc?pticos como yo:Todo sobre mi madre, nos reconcilia con su autor.
94 Todo sobre mi madre
todo sobre mi madre (the real title) by Pedro almodovar is spectacular. It is filmed in barcelona and madrid. Its about love of the arts and many other things. Including the love of family and breaking down stereotypes and dealing with grief. There are many surprises and great acting. only those who are bigoted will not like the film. many thanks to Pedro almodovar. winner at the oscars and cannes film festival. I only wished Amazon would list best foreign film winners their due honor. Yes its in spanish but the subtitles are excelent for those who don't know spanish. (only a 2nd language for me and I'm not fluent)
95 One of the bests
All about my mother, is one of the most human movies I've seen recently. It's not important if the people are "crazy", the most important it's their capacity of loving and accepting.
96 What a Movie
Almodovar's "Tudo sobre mi madre" is a masterpiece. The best ever from the director. A fantastic sound track performed by an Ismael Lo wonderfull song, and a terrific photo. The argument is brilliant. I recomend it to everybody
97 For all the mothers ..
I had the chance to see the movie at Istanbul Film Festival last weekend, and I was stunned with the performances, especially from Cecilia Roth and Marisa Paredes. To tell you the truth, I did not even realize before seing the film that it had won the Oscar. Well... This one well deserved..
You'll watch the movie with tears in your eyes but at the same time, with a smile on your face. I guess that's why this one is my favorite after last year's 'Life is Beautiful'
A movie for all mothers, but also for those who know the meaning of love, life and sacrificing..
98 A great..... stupidity
What is all the hype about this film? In my humble opinion it's terrible. I just hate it. I wish I could give it 0 stars. But.... I respect the opinion of the other viewers. Still, I never liked Almodovar's work before.
But my congratulations to him for getting the Oscar ( I just can't understand why).
99 All About Almodovar
A flashy, sophisticated swirl of color, design, and art nouveau excess courtesy of the city of Barcelona frame a melodramatic core of prima donna antics and suffering mujeres. These women are way past a nervous breakdown--Cecilia Roth's raw emotions set the tone for much of the film; the transgender Antonia San Juan provides the madcap Almodovar wit of his earlier movies. Penelope Cruz stands out--a dark beauty who gives a haunting, fragile performance as an HIV-infected, pregnant nun. Throw in Marisa Paredes as an aging diva with ruby hair touring in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire and the stage is set for Almodovar's tribute to suffering womanhood, replete with wistful references to All About Eve. Not as consistently enjoyable as some of his earlier work but perhaps more mature and sad, more resigned to the vicissitudes of love and death. It's amazing that Almodovar--the greatest Spanish director since Bunuel--could have remained true to his sensibility and have won an academy award. He's Bunuel with none of the bitterness--Bunuel with a smile and a wink at the absurd.
100 Almodovar's Best
First of all, if you're not intimately familiar with "All About Eve" and "A Streetcar Named Desire," don't even bother. "All About My Mother" is the perfect homage to movies, and to women. You'll never see grander, more iconic actresses than Cecilia Roth and Marisa Paredes. This is Almodovar's most emotional work, a hearbreaker from the very beginning - but laced with humor, passion and the kind of generous, anything-goes humanity that marks all of his films.
