Broken Embraces (15)

Almodóvar's gorgeous, seductive film about filmmaking stars the dazzling Penelope Cruz

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Lluis Humar, Lola Duenas
Spain, 2009, minutes, subtitles

Sun 28 February 8.00pm Ledbury Market Theatre
Sat 6 March 7.30pm Lingen Village Hall

A dazzling filmmaker and distinctive stylist, Almodóvar crams everything he loves about the movies into the story of Harry, a filmmaker who's been blind since a car accident that also claimed the life of his lover, Lena. A joy to watch, it's a tribute to Almodóvar's careful scripting and the skills of the mesmerizing Cruz (and the rest of the cast) that the intricate plot with its disparate elements hangs together as well as it does. At heart it's an optimistic film: despite his afflictions Harry embraces life. A film that makes you realise that no matter how bad things get, there's always something to enjoy: cinema.