The single best element here is the masterful performance of Antonio Banderas, playing, I suppose, a version of the movie's director. Movie seems designed to appeal to an audience of film and theatre fans as it examines a famous director's movements toward a comeback, while at the same time resorting to using drugs to help him with back pain. We witness his memories of his childhood and his dealings with friends who are sympathetic and try to help him along. His childhood realization of his homosexuality is sharply conveyed, and we sense how it made him the artist he is today. The impact of the film is in a much lower key than anything Almodovar has done in the past, and viewers should be aware of this - there is a delicacy here that is beautifully conveyed, due largely to the sensitivity and warmth of Banderas, which perfectly match the director's.
Review of Pain and Glory
