This is another Almodóvar masterpiece. Abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces), a 2009 romantic thriller, stars Penelope Cruz as Lena, a woman who is the mistress of a very powerful and possessive businessman. When she decides to act in a film, she falls in love with the screenwriter, and all hell breaks loose.
The film starts from the end, with the screenwriter, Harry Cain, who is blind, and the two people that he relies on: his agent Judit, and her older son, Diego. Slowly we see flashbacks as to how Harry fell in love with Lena, how dangerous their relationship became, and how he was left alone and blind. During the film, you will find yourself rooting for this couple, for many reasons, one of which being the strong chemistry between the two. However, although love might not cost a thing, betrayal does, and they soon learn what their affair really is worth.
I’ve seen this movie several times not only for the interesting plot but for the incredible acting, as Penelope Cruz stars in this film. If you haven’t seen a lot of Almodóvar movies, you may not know that she is a regular in them, along with Antonio Banderas. I strongly recommend this movie for older students (at least age 16) and anyone who wants to learn Spanish or who simply wants to enjoy a great film from the brilliant Almodóvar!
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