Friday, September 30, 2016

Almodovar's "Julieta" examines the mother's longing for her estranged daughter



Pedro Almodovar has made some fine movies in his career, which, for the most part, have placed strong female characters at the center of their narrative.  In Julieta, he creates one of his most memorable heroines: a young woman (Adriana Ugarte), after having an affair with a traveling fisherman on a train early in her life, falls out of contact with her only daughter, then spends the next decade trying to tie up loose ends.  Julieta is an emotional woman, and even nostalgic; she even cancels long term plans with her very steady boyfriend just so she can keep a better eye on her mailbox, in hope of receiving a letter from her daughter.  This may not be Almodovar's best work (that spot is still held by 2002's Talk to Her), but as a ninety-plus minute melodrama, it's memorable enough, with cinematography and music to match.
B-

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