Tag: Penelope Cruz

Trailer Fix: Broken Embraces


The Guardian has the first exclusive English language trailer of Pedro Almodovar’s latest film Broken Embraces. You can watch the trailer here.

I saw Broken Embraces in May when I was at the Cannes Film Festival and absolutely loved it. Any Almodovar fan will absolutely love Broken Embraces. However, if you have only seen his more recent and best known works (Volver, Talk to Her, All About My Mother), then this probably is not the ideal Almodovar film for you.

Check out the trailer and tell me what you think.

Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar in Vanity Fair

Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar posed together on the April cover of Vanity Fair. This magazine cover is apart of their promotional tour for Almodovar’s latest film, Broken Embraces, which was released in Spain last week.

Here are all the pictures from the photoshoot.

BAFTA Awards: Another Sweep For Slumdog Millionaire

I’m going to be so happy after the Academy Awards because then I can finally stop posting about Slumdog Millionaire winning every award possible. It is kind of getting redundant and boring.

In addition to winning the WGA for Best Adapted Screenplay this weekend, Slumdog swept the BAFTAs, receiving 7 awards. Here is the complete list of BAFTA winners.

BEST FILM
Slumdog Millionaire

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Man on Wire

THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD
for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film
Steve McQueen (Director/Writer) – Hunger

DIRECTOR
Slumdog Millionaire – Danny Boyle

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
In Bruges – Martin McDonagh

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Slumdog Millionaire – Simon Beaufoy

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
I’ve Loved You So Long – Yves Marmion, Philippe Claudel

ANIMATED FILM
WALL•E – Andrew Stanton

LEADING ACTOR
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

LEADING ACTRESS
Kate Winslet – The Reader

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

The complete list of BAFTA Winners can be found here.

Review: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

The release of a Woody Allen movie is something of an annual occurence. But always remember that when discussing the life and career of Woody Allen you should choose your words carefully. It is best to say that you strongly appreciate his work but his personal life disturbs you. This will earn you the respect of countless pop culture snobs and Annie Hall-aholics alike. Admitting to having a thing for Woody Allen will most likely have others questioning your state of mind. Considering the fact that Woody Allen releases approximately one film per year, this is valuable information to remember, especially if you ever find yourself defending his films to a Mia Farrow fan.

Allen’s latest effort is Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the director’s fourth consecutive film shot outside of the United States and his forty-first film overall. Following the not-so memorable features Scoop (2006) and Cassandra’s Dream (2007), Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a much welcomed and appreciated return to the quality filmmaking that Woody Allen is celebrated for. Much like his most celebrated features such as Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) during which New York City becomes a character into herself, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a celebration of the Spanish city and Catalan culture.

Like most Woody Allen films, Vicky Cristina Barcelona addresses matters of heart. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are two American friends spending the summer in Barcelona. Aided by a narrator we learn the innermost thoughts of the characters. Vicky is working on her Master’s degree in Catalan identity, and knows what she wants from life. The following autumn, she plans to marry her boring fiancé Doug (Chris Messina). Cristina is her opposite; she is spontaneous and unsure of what she wants. She just made a twelve-minute film about love but is still no closer to finding it.
Enter Juan Antonio, played by Javier Bardem, a passionate painter who is known in the art world for his violent relationship with his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz). After he spontaneously invites the pair to spend the weekend with him in Oviedo, both women are seduced by this Latin lover. This chance weekend in Oviedo disrupts both women’s lives and sends the film down a path of passion, intrigue and interesting scenarios.

But the heart and true beauty of Vicky Cristina Barcelona belongs to Penélope Cruz. As Maria Elena, Juan Antonio’s crazy ex-wife, the Spanish actress steals the limelight from the presumptive lead actresses. Unlike Johansson who offers nothing more than pouty lips, blonde hair and blank stares, Cruz plays a dynamic character that is full of fire, humor and pure fervor. In scenes where Juan Antonio and Maria Elena’s arguments are so intense you can feel their emotions prickle under your skin, Cruz effortlessly transitions from Spanish to English, never dropping the scene’s quick pace or losing Maria Elena’s fieriness. And you’ll forget to read the subtitles. It may only be September, but Cruz is already being mentioned as a likely Oscar-nominee.

With Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen once again proves why his films are often the most anticipated releases each year. Allen’s superb writing and direction, as well as the beyond exceptional acting of Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, make Vicky Cristina Barcelona a film worth seeing.

Published: September 11, 2008
The Mount Holyoke News