Pain And Glory Starring Antonio Banderas In Theaters, October 4th
In this movie, film director Salvador Mallo(played by Antonio Banderas) has a litany of ailments that he medicates with a plethora of drugs. To make things worse, he is unable to do what he loves: make movies. When sitting down to write, we can feel the torture of his emotions as he stares blankly at the page. His writer’s block and the physical pain is the prison that he must escape
© El Deseo. Photo by Manolo Pavón. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
The push comes when one of his classic films(Sabor) has been rebooted and showing at a local theater. When Salvador reaches out to one of his actors, Alberto (Asier Etxeandia), a cocaine lover, it becomes clear that the relationship between them is problematic and needs resolution.
And even more so when Alberto pushes Salvador to create another masterpiece instead, Salvador wants to try cocaine.
Penélope Cruz as Jacinta (young)
© El Deseo. Photo by Manolo Pavón. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
Left to Right: Asier Etxeandía as Alberto, Leonardo Sbaraglia as Federico
© El Deseo. Photo by Manolo Pavón. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
Antonio Banderas as Salvador, Julieta Serrano as Jacinta (old)
© El Deseo. Photo by Manolo Pavón. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
Antonio Banderas as Salvador, Nora Navas as Mercedes
© El Deseo. Photo by Manolo Pavón. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
© El Deseo. Photo by Manolo Pavón. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics
In the drug-induced moments, we get flashbacks of childhood memories that shaped him in multiple ways. And revelations of a Mother’s pride and disappointments that may or not be at the root of his ailments. But most revealing is the recognition of his loneliness and the desire to create.
Pedro Almodovar has created symbolic images that will haunt long after the film is over. And if you allow the tone of Pain and Glory to move within your mind, each moviegoer will find something in this movie that may stir within their soul.
Pain, glory, love, loss, and forgiveness are just some of the things that make us human.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
- New York Film Festival 2019
- Toronto International Film Festival 2019
- Telluride Film Festival 2019
- Cannes Film Festival 2019
- Running Time: 113 mins | Language: Spanish with English subtitles
