Pain and Glory Movie Review

Rent Pain and Glory on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay)
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, Penélope Cruz
Rated: R
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Plot
A film director reflects on the choices he’s made in life as the past and present come crashing down around him.

Verdict
This is a rumination on life, everything that is, was, and could be. Salvador faces many health problems which cause him to reminisce about his youth and mend a few fences in the present. This movie manages to touch upon most of the formative moments in his life, but I like that this ends on a hopeful note. Just as many of the moments in Salvador’s life were transient, so was his poor health. While he felt like his health had deteriorated past the point of living a full life, he manages to heal and return to doing what he enjoys. With many directors lately creating a movie reminiscing about their lives, this is one that doesn’t require as much context, though it does focus on middle age or after.
Watch It.

Review
Like the other Almodóvar movies I’ve seen, this is thoughtful and touching as it focuses on characters facing adversity.

Many directors seem to be making self inspired movies about their lives recently. Spielberg just did The Fablemans, Branagh did Belfast, Cuarón did Roma, and even Fellini did Amarcord in the 70s. This is a director writing a movie about a director, and I assume this has to be autobiographical at least in part.

This starts with Salvador (Antonio Banderas) in a pool. He’s an older guy and it appears he’s had heart surgery. While in the pool he begins thinking about his childhood. This provides a generous amount of information on Salvador without any dialog. This delves into his childhood and how he bypassed school. He relates that to his career as a filmmaker and how traveling to promote films helped him learn the geography and fill that knowledge void from when he was a kid.

Antonia Banderas plays Salvador

The movie jumps between present and Salvador’s past as we see the events that shaped him. Salvador frequently reflects on his youth and meaningful memories. He has many maladies, so it’s no surprise he wants to mentally escape. That’s also why he’s not working which gives him time to reflect.

This is past and present and how it all fits together. We see how his past informs his present. This is a retrospective of his life; what was and what could have been. Salvador feels like he’s at the end with his numerous health problems. He uses his memories as an escape. In between these daydreams he confronts his past and people in it.

Antonia Banderas plays Salvador

I would guess this is Almodóvar’s reflection on life, or even his own life. Salvador has used his movies to work through his life, but a big part of his life isn’t on screen. His mother asked him to refrain from putting her in the movies. One of the biggest aspects of his life has never been on the screen.

This movie is a greatest hits for Salvador. We see the moments that shaped him, either through what he remembers or people coincidentally reappearing in his life. There is a watercolor picture he stumbles upon which is quite the coincidence, but it creates such a nice moment.

This starts with a man seemingly at the end. He’s old and feels it, but by the conclusion of this movie he’s managed to change his life and return to doing what he loves, making movies. The latest movie he’s working on is about his mom. It’s something he said he wouldn’t do, but it’s also about him personally, aspects of his life he seemingly hasn’t shared.

This isn’t just another director reminiscing about the past, enabled by success to make an indulgent movie. This doesn’t require the context of their childhood. This is a character study about a man dealing with life and trying to make sense of it by reflecting about the moments that have shaped his life.