As if his films weren't already anticipated, Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar got another boost among American audiences when his 1999 "All About My Mother" drew massive acclaim and an Oscar -- among other awards -- for Best Foreign Film.
That means his latest work, "Talk to Her" ("Hable con Ella"), is long-awaited, and with good reason. The somewhat odd drama is both artful and moving.
Pina Bausch's "Cafe Muller," a modern dance work of passion opens the film and in the audience, sitting next to each other, are the two main characters, who, at this point, are unknown to one another. Another Bausch work also graces the film later on.
Marco (Dario Grandinetti) is a journalist and Benigno (Javier Camara) is an apparently asexual male nurse, who is something of a shut-in because he's spent most of his life caring for his mother and for a single patient in the clinic where he works. His skills as a nurse, a manicurist and hairdresser, have earned him a reputation as a homosexual.
When Marco sees female bullfighter Lydia (Rosario Flores) on a television chat show, he agrees to write a story about her and sets out to meet her. When he does, he discovers her composure and fortitude in the ring is counterweighted by her fragility outside it. They become lovers.
Flashing back a few years, we find Benigno almost stalking a student at the dance academy he can spy from his window. Alicia (Leonor Watling) is creeped out -- especially when Benigno appears in her home -- even though he assures her, "I just wanted to see you. Don't worry, I'm harmless." And we believe him. He seems only lonely.
Before they can meet again, Alicia is in a car accident and lies in a coma. Her father, a psychiatrist that once saw Benigno as a patient, hires him and another nurse to care for his daughter full-time. This he does with loving care and tenderness; his devotion to Alicia seems boundless.
When Lydia is gored by a bull, she arrives at the same clinic, in a coma, and Marco is not far behind. When he and Benigno meet they become fast friends, especially because Marco seeks help in coping with Lydia's situation.
However, while he thinks that a coma is the cessation of all mental activity -- the doctor told him so -- Benigno believes Alicia (and Lydia) understands when spoken to and is helped by the devoted care of a loved one.
Marco begins to fear that Benigno's grip on reality may be a little tenuous and subsequent events may prove him right.
It's hard to single out anyone in the cast, since all the major players do such a wonderful job. Benigno's apparent strength in the face of hopelessness gives way to weakness and this seems to be the case for almost everyone. Especially Lydia, who is renowned for her fearlessness but is shattered when her lover, another bullfighter, leaves her. Both appear to have little difficulty navigating this thin line.
Almodovar aims his lens at loneliness, loss and grief and also at how people struggle to communicate with one another. Lydia's ex sends messages to her only via his agent; Benigno is much more at ease with Alicia once their relationship becomes a monologue; Marco, who needs the interaction, can't handle the monologue.
Intimately and beautifully photographed, peformed with perfect nuance and satisfyingly paced, Almodovar's film is a graceful beauty and sets the bar high early in the year.
"Talk to Her" opens Fri., Feb. 7 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
