Review: Broken Embraces

A famous director known by his alias. A strange stranger. A mystery from the past. An Almodóvar film. Things are going to get complicated.

Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos) is Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar's latest romantic thriller, starring his muse Penelope Cruz as the beauty cast in a film and a victim of circumstance. A famous director going by the name Harry Caine, now blind and in seclusion, is approached by an unnerving stranger shortly after a man of some importance passes away. When Harry realizes who the stranger is, secrets start to unravel.

Almodóvar tends to hold back vital information until the end, which, unfortunately, makes many of his plot twists predictable, and lessens their impact. Broken Embraces doesn't measure up to Almodóvar's last two films (Volver, Bad Education). It's not just the length; at over two hours, it's a long film, and feels it at times. Almodóvar luxuriates over each scene a little too much, and the choreography leading to most plot twists are telegraphed too far in advance to have much impact. 

For those not well versed in Almodóvar, it will likely be more enjoyable. And unlike some of his earlier films there's barely any sensuality, let alone blatant sexuality. People are unlikely to walk out like some did during Bad Education.  It's as if Almodóvar has matured a little too much.