979. Talk To Her (2002)

Starring: Darío Grandinetti, Javier Cámara, Rosario Flores

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Running Time: 112 mins

Talk To Her (Hable con ella) is a Spanish film about two men who develop a strange bond whilst looking after two women who have fallen into serious comas.

This is a very dramatic and engrossing story, and although it’s not so heavy-going or emotionally draining, there’s no doubt that it’s well-acted, well-written and consistently intriguing, unpredictable and even uncomfortable to follow along to.

The main thing to say about this film is that the performances are excellent. Darío Grandinetti is fantastic in the title role, putting in a great show as a man who is going through severe emotional turmoil, but one that is also kind-hearted enough to help out others, such as Benigno, played by Javier Cámara, who is a lot stranger than his on-screen counterpart, but is still a fascinating character who you want to support as much as possible.

What’s more is that the screenplay here is fantastic. The majority of the dialogue in this film is very downbeat and quiet, but the captivating writing makes it still intriguing, and it really helps to add a bit of a thrill into what could have descended into a rather dull and morose drama.

The story in itself is also engrossing to follow. It’s unpredictable throughout, whilst the development of the relationship between the two main characters is particularly interesting, seeing how the loss of these women in their lives can impact them as people, leading to highly dramatic consequences which are at times slightly uncomfortable.

On that note, this film, despite being pretty realistic and dry for an Almodóvar production, has some moments which are quite striking and uncomfortable to watch. They’re used very well for dramatic effect, but, be warned, this isn’t a film that should be watched by anyone younger than 15 for fear of being scarred.

This film is on the whole very well done, and it’s an interesting break for Almodóvar from his largely hyperbolic and crazy films, and although it’s not really a drama that hits the highest notes in terms of emotional impact, which is a little bit of a let down, this is still a fascinating and enticing film, and that’s why it gets a 7.6 from me.