Year of Release: 1991
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Starring: Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, Miguel Bose, Feodor Atkine, Cristina Marcos, Anna Lizaran, Bibi Andersen, Nacho Martinez, Javier Bardem, Miriam Diaz-Aroca, Pedro Diez del Corral, Mayrata O'Wisiedo
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:
Pedro Almodovar started the 90s with "Tacones Lejanos", which also marked his third collaboration with leading actress Victoria Abril (after a small part in "La Ley Del Deseo" and the lead in "Atame"). The film follows the story of Rebeca Giner, who is the daughter of well known singer Becky del Paramo. Rebeca is currently a television news broadcaster, and we find her at the Madrid airport, awaiting the return of her mother, after her long stint of living in Mexico. Rebeca is currently married to Manuel, the owner of the TV station where she works, who coincidentally, is also one of her mother's former lovers. Wanting to reintroduce her mother to the cultural life in Madrid, particularly the one related to her career, they all go see a drag show with the performer by the name of Letal, one of Rebeca's best friends. Rebeca and Letal end up having sex backstage, and in the ensuing days, Manuel confesses he wants to divorce Rebeca, in order to pursue Becky once more. A month later Manuel is murdered, after spending the night with one of his mistresses. The investigation, led by Judge Dominguez, focuses on Rebeca and her mother, since Rebeca found the body and knew about the extra-marital affairs of his husband. Rebeca breaks down and confesses to the murder on live TV, much to the dismay of her mother. As she is sent to prison, the Judge suspects there is more to the story, and continues investigating, uncovering more hidden drama.
As is typical of Pedro Almodovar's films, the menagerie of characters he puts in place are always unique and fascinating, and "Tacones Lejanos" is no exception. This film in particular references and is influenced by Ingmar Bergman's "Autumn Sonata", in the sense that it focuses on the strained relationship between mother and daughter. In this case, the central character Rebeca, always feels much like a supporting player in her mother's life, and never quite good enough to fulfill her expectations, whereas Becky though loving Rebeca, does focus all her energy solely on her needs and her accomplishments. This complicated relationship extends to their lovers and amorous relationships. The narrative is complimented with the introduction of the third axis, played by Miguel Bose, who simultaneously plays Letal and the Judge, throwing the motion of the narrative into disarray, playing with gender roles, and generally, infusing the film with the more transgressive aspect that Almodovar's films always have. It's a film that is still peppered with humor, but this time around, the dramatic aspect of the narrative is the focus, particularly with Rebeca's central journey, who like many of the director's female heroines, is stretched a bit too thin in her life. The trio of performers is fantastic, with Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes and Miguel Bose, all creating indelible characters. Stylistically the film still has many of the signature points of the director (at least from the first part of his career), thanks to the impeccable work of cinematographer Alfredo F. Mayo, which is also complimented by the score of the wonderful Ryuichi Sakamoto. Even if the third act of the film doesn't feel quite as well resolved as the previous ones, it's still a film always worth revisiting, from one of the most interesting filmmakers working these days.
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