Bursting with colour and filled with sadness, Pedro Almodóvar’s film explores motherhood, memory, and guilt.
Julieta, 50, is preparing to move to Lisbon with her partner when an unexpected discovery about the life of her estranged daughter makes her change her mind. Julieta stays in Madrid, moves to a different apartment, and starts writing. She remembers meeting her daughter Antía’s father, her birth and her early years, the sudden death of her husband in the sea, followed by years of depression, painful attachment, and a sudden separation. The story unfolds in parallel in flashbacks and in the present, as Julieta’s lover tries to understand her decision, just like she is trying to understand her daughter’s.
The film is based on three short stories by Canadian author Alice Munro from her collection Runaway, in which the Nobel Prize winner gives an intentionally colorless account of a woman’s life in different periods. Pedro Almodóvar paints Munro’s stories with his signature vibrant colors and steps into genre film territory: the mother-daughter relationship drama is combined with a romantic melodrama written by Julieta. The motif of the double is of particular importance. Two stages in the life of Julieta are played by different actresses: Emma Suárez was cast for the role of the mature Julieta, while Adriana Ugarte plays the young character. They merge in one shot, the editing emphasizing the complexity of a woman who cannot be summarized in one social role or one age.
The film will be screened in Spanish with Russian subtitles.
Julieta
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Spain, France, USA, 2016. 99 min.
18+
