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Overall Rating
4.72

Awesome82.09%
Worth A Look: 13.43%
Average: 1.49%
Pretty Bad: 0%
Total Crap: 2.99%

6 reviews, 31 user ratings


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All About My Mother
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by John Smith

"'Stupendo!'"
5 stars

New reviews are superfluous to this, a perfect film by an accomplished film maker that's won wide acclaim and an Oscar.

Suffice to say that this is Almodovar's "ET" or "The Birds" - the synergy of his creativity, heart and intellect that's realised with intoxicating visual and aural flair.

When Manuela's (played by the spunky Cecilia Roth) son dies, she returns to Barcelona, the city of his conception, to introduce his memory to the father she never allowed him to meet.

There, she reunites with an old friend Agrado, a multi-talented tranny who works the streets, and, unexpectedly, the cast of a touring production of "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Almodovar's hold over his subject is focussed like a laser beam. Perfectly prismic, every element of the movie ("All About Eve", "A Streetcar Named Desire", motherhood, male-to-female transvestism) complements it's central theme of women (and men) playing women.

The humour of Almodovar's previous films is here, but restrained: it plays second fiddle to the movie's bursting big heart.

The movie is a heartfelt ode to mothers, including fictional and figurative ones like Margot Channing and Blanche duBois, and we feel its every kiss, cuddle and tear.

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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=3448&reviewer=305
originally posted: 05/20/02 13:21:48
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User Comments

11/27/06 William Goss Well-acted, and picks up as it proceeds, but still mildly overrated melodrama. 4 stars
8/17/06 Ellen Veden Great Directing and Acting...Awesome 5 stars
4/12/06 anthonyuk superb, another masterpiece from pedro 5 stars
3/24/05 Toes And what about my Daddy.... 1 stars
11/24/04 Sydney Ulmer Almodovar is truely an inspiring director - truely awesome 5 stars
2/08/04 CC Yeah whats the Fuss 1 stars
1/10/02 Tam Fascinating & unusual, with top acting & great characters, but could have ended better. 4 stars
12/17/01 Andrew Carden Too Bizzarre and Confusing To Be Good...OK Plot, but Bad Acting. 3 stars
12/08/01 dfhydf hdfh 4 stars
12/03/01 Hum something very special 5 stars
10/23/01 Soggy Bottom Boy Be patient for the first 15 minutes, you'll be rewarded by a powerful, crazy movie! 5 stars
7/08/01 Reini Urban Almodovar is again getting better. Others became worse going sentimetal. Fine to see. 5 stars
5/26/01 Basil I'll admit I cried. 5 stars
4/09/01 ChErRyRiPe Len just doesn't know a good movie when he sees it, this was touching and fucking awesome! 5 stars
2/25/01 teresa harvey the best film i've seen in years, roth & paredes are magnificent 5 stars
2/22/01 trashstar Delightful, Cecilia Roth shines as do all the cast. Much less manipulative than his others. 5 stars
2/21/01 Rocket Boy Almodovar's best since "Women...", and the best of 1999. 5 stars
2/06/01 Trashstar Amazing, one of those movies where you sit and watch until the credits are finished dazed. 5 stars
12/23/00 Bev Clark Sublime. It moved me to tears (and that has never happened before!) 5 stars
11/11/00 Steve probably the best and most enjoyable film of 1999 5 stars
10/16/00 The Bomb 69 strong writing and acting, interesting to watch the main character come full circle 5 stars
10/05/00 Spetters Almodovar´s best!! 5 stars
9/09/00 neilb great films are great films, no matter the language 5 stars
8/08/00 Mic Pacing a bit rushed at times but a marvellous film nonetheless. 5 stars
6/14/00 ferma lekesizalin I loved the way almodovar incorporated the subtext of A Streetcar Named Desire to his movie 5 stars
4/25/00 Pix Love this new Almodovar 5 stars
3/30/00 TIGGER It was absolutely beautiful. Cecilia Roth made me ball my eyes out! Just great! 5 stars
3/21/00 Matthew Smith a magnificent film, beautifully acted by the women 5 stars
2/16/00 Tatiana Cepero Masterpiece by Almodovar,very dramatic and realistic 5 stars
1/06/00 Heather Almodovar releases another masterpiece 5 stars
12/19/99 Mr Showbiz For Almodovar, a more mature work, and the most heartfelt tribute to women he's ever made. 5 stars
IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA
  24-Nov-1999 (R)

UK
  N/A

Australia
  02-Mar-2000



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