Pain and Glory

In one of his most personal works, Pedro Almodóvar presents a vivid portrait of a filmmaker confronting age-related anxieties.

Director Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas at his very best) is so preoccupied by various physiological and psychological ailments that he’s put his career on hold. Then a retrospective of his work leads him not only to remember his past, but to contact the long-estranged lead actor of an early seminal work... a troubled reunion with unexpected, fateful consequences.

Almodóvar, who also wrote the screenplay, is here at his most mature and reflective, exploring the lore of desire, creativity, addiction and memory through a single, somewhat self-centred character. Bold in its narrative structure, restrained yet expressive in its colours and compositions, and with intense, naturalistic performances, this is exemplary film artistry.