Broken Embraces (2009) Drama

(Los abrazos rotos) Broken Embraces (2009) - I really like Pedro Almodovar as a storyteller, how he focuses on the relationships and what is not said is as important as what is said. Broken Embraces is the story of Mateo Blanco (Lluis Homar)a director and writer of movies who has a passionate love affair with Lena (Penelope Cruz). Lena the wife of the powerful businessman Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez) looking for an escape from that relationship but feeling trapped. We meet Mateo as a blind writer going under the name Harry Caine and are shown the story through flashback. I liked how Almodovar shows the path Lena took to get into her marriage with Ernesto, He her boss and she in need with a father dying of cancer, a women who had already done some prostitution to make ends meet, he uses this to pull her into his orbit. She feeling trapped by circumstances allows it to happen.
We learn how when she decides to act in a movie her husband is funding she meets Mateo and they are quickly into each other. There story plays out and then meets a tragic end leaving Mateo blind and Lena dead.
Cared for by his manager/agent Judit (Blanca Portillo), Mateo is still a successful writer and hears about the death of Ernesto leading to the unfolding of the story. Blanca plays an important role in the story. The love of Mateo's life but unrequited she has her own guilt burden to bare. The revelations are wonderful slowly doled out in bits.
I will not share the twists this movie takes, some of it is too clearly foreshadowed but then there are some real surprises. If you like heartfelt drama with interpersonal turns this is a movie for you. You will have to read subtitles though, I had no problem with that as Almodovar is a master storyteller, you will be engaged and interested throughout the entire movie.
Rating (8.2)