| His recent best, IMHO |
|
| written by shiftless |
December 17, 2007 - 12:15 PM PST |
| I think this is my favorite Almódovar film in a long time. I generally enjoy his movies and LOVE his sense of humor, and Bad Education had me laughing more than his 3 previous films combined. He manages to populate a realistic,dark and convoluted story (within a story within a story, i might add) with warm and off-beat characters and the funny stuff is in the details, nothing over broad or slapstick. Gael García Bernal is great as a struggling actor and a somewhat mannish and semi-fictional transexual desperate to finance her "transition". I enjoyed enery minute of this film and didn't want it to end. |
| Another Almodovar gem.... |
|
| written by HPearson |
October 20, 2007 - 9:41 AM PDT |
| Granted, I couldn't NOT love any film that features Gael Garcia Bernal (my curent fave actor and #1 crush). But I think this is one of his best performances yet - it really showcases his versatility as an actor. I'm also a big Almodovar fan, and this film is every bit worthy of his reputation. It's an extremely well-written story that explores the dark underbelly of human nature...frank and at times disturbing, realistic without being cliche. |
| Not "Bad" -- Just a Little Disappointing |
|
| written by talltale |
April 14, 2005 - 9:24 AM PDT |
|
7 out of 10 members found this review helpful
|
I'm surprised at my reaction to Pedro Almodovar's BAD EDUCATION. I enjoyed every moment, first to last, and found all the performances (especially those of Gael Garcia Bernal and Fele Martinez) exceptionally fine. Bernal continue to amaze; what a gift he has for throwing himself, body and soul, into any role--without appearing unreal for even one moment. The cinematography here is first-rate, too, as is everything about this film technically.
Yet, at movie's end, I was unmoved, unchanged, and just a little too uncaring. This deservedly renowned writer/director has combined a kind of film noir with a cross-dressing comedy/drama involving identity theft, sexual abuse, the church, sibling rivalry, the acting bug and more. There are really no heroes or villains here; everyone is treated with more understanding and equality than you might expect (a further example of Almodovar's maturation as an artist).
Still, as writer, Almodovar lets too many cats out of his bag too early to achieve any sort of satisfying mystery. And nothing goes much deeper than surface; as psychology or character study, what you see at first or second glance is what you end up with. There may be a surprise or two along the way, yet that elusive thing called character remains far too shrouded. Consequently, what appears initially intriguing (and continues so for quite some time due to the performances) may have you by film's finish muttering, "And...?" |
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.