Pain and Glory (Film Review)

2019 El Deseo
Written and Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, and Penélope Cruz
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 113 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 8/10

Celebrated director, Salvador Mallo, hasn't made a film in years. Buried under an immense weight of physical pain, illness, depression, and the heartache of a long-broken relationship, he sits at his computer and types out manuscripts no one will ever read. One day, by chance encounter, he's reunited with his old acting collaborator, Alberto. The two fell out long before, after an artistic disagreement, but Salvador has decided to mend fences, so that the two can give a Q&A for their fallout film's 30th anniversary. As the two reunite, Salvador notices Alberto preparing to smoke heroin, and tired of the pain and frustration of his life, gives it a try.
In heroin, Salvador finds a temporary escape. As he experiences the drug's effects, he reminisces about his childhood in rural Spain. He remembers how his family once wanted him to attend seminary in order to get a free education, and how his rebellion against this idea caused tension with his mother. As the aging filmmaker slips deeper into drug-fueled, nostalgic reverie, a curious Alberto begins to dig through Salvador's artifacts, coming across his old director's unfilmed, recently written work. One particular piece catches Alberto's eye, and he and Salvador agree that the actor will perform the piece as a one-man show, with no credit going to Salvador. Salvador will stay in his apartment, high and away from the world.
However, it turns out this particular work is based on Salvador's real-life. It's the story of a young Salvador meeting the love of his life, Federico, their peaks and valleys, and the dissolution of the relationship due to Federico's heroin addiction. This artistic reconnection to the world has unintended consequences, though, as who turns up in the audience, but Federico himself--now clean and sober, and with an entirely new life, but very curious about Salvador. Will a reunion with Federico put Salvador in the headspace to change his ways? Or will the "pain" in Pain and Glory prove too much to overcome?
It's been far too long since I've seen a Pedro Almodóvar film, and frankly, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy his work. The local art theater showed Pain and Glory the weekend between when Parasite was in limited theatrical release, and when Parasite was widely released, smack-dab when my wife and I planned on a Parasite movie-date. With Almodóvar being a long-forgotten mutual-interest, Pain and Glory was an easy decision. Just a few minutes into the film, I was taken all the way back to conversations I had in college, back, when 1999's All About My Mother was Almodóvar's most recent film. "Why can't American directors use color like Almodóvar does? Why does every American film have to be so drab and blue and gray?!" Seeing the bright shades Almodóvar brings to life in the rural Spanish village of Salvador's youth immediately reminded me that I still feel that way in 2019! I was also reminded that Antonio Banderas, when given material he is passionate about, is one hell of an actor. He is incredibly believable here as Salvador, who's a bit of a stand-in for Almodóvar himself. Banderas convincingly conveys the haunted, hunched over feel of a man carrying immense weight, but even better the internal fires of artistic genius that just need the flow of oxygen unblocked.
While Pain and Glory can be a bit meandering, and Almodóvar never quite paints together a satisfyingly full picture of Salvador's childhood, the film is an excellent exploration of the general feeling of malaise that comes during a prolonged period of creative breakdown. Frequent Almodóvar collaborator, Penélope Cruz, also shines in flashbacks as Salvador's mother, and her presence is even felt in the present, the film subtly hinting at the ways the adult Salvador chases his deceased mother's approval. Overall, that genuine human touch assured from nearly any Almodóvar film is here, along with the lush visuals and excellent performances you'd expect his work to evoke. While Pain and Glory may not be Almodóvar's tightest film, it's the personal, honest work of a master, and a shot away from greatness.