Broken Embraces

All of you Rosemund Pilchers and Danielle Steels out there had better start getting worried, Almodóvar has broken into the romance fiction market. Boring romance fiction that you’ve seen a hundred times in telenovelas, feebly masked by calling it art. If it weren’t for Penelope, in a couple of years time, we’d be more likely to see this on morning housewives’ TV than on the CT2 Film Club. (2009-09-06)

Interesting and captivating story unfolding in two different time frames, always dominated by the ethereal Penelope. The plot slowly starts, until it peaks at a certain climax, then it is just slightly unnecessarily prolonged. If Almodóvar shortened The Broken Embraces by twenty minutes, it would have a more brisk touch. Nevertheless, I am very glad that I watched it. (2009-05-27)

An emotionally incoherent and typically Spanish film that is full of passion. Sometimes it's great, especially when Almodóvar steps out of the interior shots and smoothly transitions to the colorful, loaded exteriors, full of perfectly coordinated colors and half-uttered sentences. You think that the atmosphere is exceptional and it makes sense, but then another cut comes and a ton of dialogue, half of which is unnecessary. It repeats itself, as always. There's too much talking and not enough action. Penelope Cruz is the only one who doesn't even have to speak and she will still be great. (2014-09-22)