And the tragedies pile up early: Manuela (dynamic Cecilia Roth), leaving a performance of ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' with her 17-year-old son, Esteban, watches horrified as he's killed by a car while chasing the play's star (Marisa Paredes) for an autograph. The young man had been begging his mother to tell him about the father he never knew and keeping a journal he called ''All About My Mother'' (the echo of ''All About Eve'' is no accident). After Esteban's death, Manuela sets out to find the boy's father -- who now goes by the name of Lola.
Transsexuals, a pregnant nun (Penélope Cruz), the ''Streetcar'' star's junkie lesbian lover (Candela Peña) -- the filmmaker showers these women with his highest praise when he celebrates the élan and authenticity with which they act, even if that authenticity is artificially enhanced. Honoring what he sees as a feminine instinct for depending on the kindness of one another, Almodóvar (who won the top directing prize this year at Cannes) is honored in turn with full-hearted performances by great actresses inspired by feeling deeply understood.
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.