Talk to her (4 Stars)

For years I've heard good things about Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, but I've never watched any of his films, not even the ones that were made in English. On occasions I've even taken the time to check out descriptions and reviews of his films, but they never appealed to me. Then a friend of mine told me that "Talk to her" is her favorite film and I must watch it. I googled it, and seeing Pedro Almodovar's name I decided to give it a chance. I found it very cheap online, so I bought it. That was in March 2012, a whole year ago. Since then I've picked up the DVD a few times, turned it in my hand, then put it back on the shelf. Had I wasted my money on something I would never watch?

Today I finally took the plunge. To me it's a confusing film. I didn't know what to make of it. In a way it reminds me of Eric Rohmer's dramas, although in contrast to Rohmer "Talk to her" does have a plot and does come to a well defined end. I felt tempted to leave the film unrated, since it's very difficult to judge. It's not quite like anything I've seen before. Usually I like to assign any film I watch to a genre and judge it within the parameters of that genre. "Talk to her" stands by itself in a vacuum.

The film takes place in Madrid and centres around two couples: Marco and Lydia, Benigno and Alicia. The majority of the film concerns the friendship between the two men.

Marco is a journalist who writes travel reports. Lydia is a bullfighter. The two meet when Marco is asked to write a report about Lydia. She refuses to give an interview, but a romance develops. Three months later she is gored by a bull and falls into a coma.
 
Benigno is a nurse. Alicia is a ballet dancer. Benigno is a loner who has spent all of his life looking after his mother. Every day he watches Alicia practising at a ballet school opposite his apartment. After his mother dies he plucks up the courage to speak to Alicia, but since he has never dated a girl he can't talk to her and nothing develops. A week later she is involved in a car accident and falls into a coma. She is delivered into the hospital where he works, and due to the special attention he gives her he is appointed her personal carer.

When Lydia is admitted into hospital Alicia has already been lying in a coma for four years. Marco and Benigno meet, and a strong friendship develops. Marco feels helpless sitting next to his comatose girlfriend, but Benigno has finally overcome his shyness and talks to Alicia incessantly. He claims that he and Alicia get on better than normal couples.

The film has won many awards, including an Oscar for best original screenplay in 2002. It's doubtless a good film, but difficult to follow. I'll probably watch it again, to give myself a second chance to take it in. There seem to be many layers of meaning, in particular the gender roles. The symbolism is over-obvious. Lydia is a strong woman who dresses like a man and does a job normally only associated with men. In the bullring she kills bulls, strong male animals. Benigno is a weak man who can only overcome his fear of women if they are asleep or unable to talk to him. The men bond, united by their helplessness towards women.