Full disclosure: for me, the Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar can do no wrong. The sheer volume of top notch films in his catalogue are, in my opinion unmatched and only Rainer Werner Fassbinder immediately springs to mind when it comes to quantity and quality. James Miller's book takes a look at seven films from this rich body of work:
Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls On The Heap
Law of Desire
The Flower of My Secret
Bad Education
Volver
Broken Embraces
Pain And Glory
Here, the themes and textures of these films are explored,acknowledging the autobiographical nature of some of the director's key works, and helping to generate fresh ways of looking at them through better eyes. The director's experiences in Catholic schools are referenced with regard to stories he tells on a personal journey that will hopefully continue for a good while to come. Miller's interpretations of mood and motivation are, for me, always engaging but I will offer friendly advice to those who are at the formative stage of their Almodovar exploration. The analysis of these seven films do, by necessity, include spoilers, so I suggest watching each film before reading about it. My guess is that you'll immediately book a repeat viewing, fired by Miller's ideas.
The Passion of Pedro Almodovar is published in the UK by Columbia University Press, and highly recommended for seasoned admirers and newcomers alike.
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