BROKEN EMBRACES (2009, Blu-ray released March 16, 2010 – MSRP $34.95)
Broken Embraces may just be writer/director Pedro Almodóvar‘s finest film to date. If not his finest, then it’s certainly his most ambitious. And while it might not have that million-dollar sheen of Hollywood’s finest on Blu-ray, you won’t want to miss out on this Spanish language gem.
As I mentioned in the Top 5 Blu-ray release list, this disc had the misfortune of being swallowed by the hype of a very high profile new Disney princess release and a new chapter of the Twilight series on Blu during the week it hit shelves. How could a Spanish language import possibly compete with those two juggernauts? I’ll tell you how – by being awesome! I loved this film. In fact, it is without question one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. But it’s also a movie that’s beyond description.
Broken Embraces is not only Almodóvar’s best, in my opinion, but also his most enigmatic film to date. The story, involving a director, now blind, recalling his past love affair with an actress in one of his films and the fallout of their relationship, winds through a temporal maze in what I can only refer to as an structural feat of narrative acrobatics. The plot bounces us from present day, focused on the writer, his manager and her son, back to the nineties, outlining the life of the actress (played by the radiant Penélope Cruz) only to then thrust us into the film-within-a-film, which bears a striking resemblance to Almodóvar’s own Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Don’t fret about the complexity of the storytelling, though. You’re in the hands of a master here and Almodóvar happily leads you by the hand all the way to films stunning and very moving conclusion.
There’s so much emotion at play in Broken Embraces that one can only marvel at Almodóvar’s ability to keep the proceedings feeling light and often playful. The film is extraordinary from beginning to end – a modern noir masterpiece that’s the furthest thing from dark. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Broken Embraces arrives on Blu-ray disc in a transfer that’s technically accurate but less than dazzling. It delivers all the detail, contrast and black depth you’re hoping for but there’s very little that “pops” off the screen, including the colourful palette of the film. It’s not a bad transfer. It’s just not going to be your reference disc. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 does its best to be impressive but can only provide so many frills on a soundtrack that is all about the dialogue. Again, nothing wrong here. Solid work. It’s just not going to blow your mind.
The Broken Embraces Blu-ray Disc arrives with a modest selection of special features, including a nice little short film The Cannibalistic Councilor, that’s essentially a scene from the film-within-the-film, Chicas y Maletas, or Girls and Suitcases. It’s a nice little slice of fun that only served to further frustrate my girlfriend, who is quite distressed that she’ll never see the non-existent movie in its entirety! Also of note is the entertaining, 6-minute “Pedro Almodóvar Directs Penélope” – a series of candid behind-the-scenes shots of Almodóvar trying to get the performance he wants out of Cruz. Fascinating stuff! There is also a Q&A with Cruz, some red carpet premiere footage, deleted scenes and a trailer to round out the disc.
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