A very long time ago in my personal history I was given a copy of a movie called “High Heels” directed by Pedro Almodóvar. I was in the midst of learning to speak real Spanish at the time, transitioning from years of Greek. I say “real Spanish” as opposed to the text book garbage many claim as the path to polyglotism because after two years of high school Spanish I had a flawless accent but zero colloquial education. Speaking to native Spanish speakers was akin to whipping out an Easy Bake Oven in Wolfgang Puck’s kitchen. But back to Almodóvar.
Pardon the cliché, but I fell head over heels for “High Heels.” I ate, drank, and slept every inch of that movie. I knew every turn of phrase with exacting detail, right down to the Castilliano lisp. What I failed to realize until a few months later was how incredibly intricate of a movie it was. The brilliance of Pedro Almodóvar doesn’t shine like a torch in the dark. It walks as a normal person on a crowded street; content to flow with the masses.
Awakened to his directorial passions, I devoured every film he had made at that point. Awash in the language and the culture of his uniquely Spanish flavored movies, I picked up the language at a rapid clip. Less than a year after I “met” his works, I was proficient enough to speak, read, and understand a great deal of Spanish. To this day I’m most comfortable speaking it with the most gentle of lisps, as many of his characters do.
Thank you Pedro. Thank you for such a gift.
Last night “La Mala Educación” opened at the Century in Evanston. After spending the entire day nearly on the edge of vomiting with excitement, I settled into my chair in the theater with less than twenty other people present. It was the 10:20pm showing, so I knew the crowd would be sparse.
From the moment the Sony Classics slate faded in until the final credits ended, I was in Almodóvarland. Every character, every line, every colorful scene draws you into his unique world. It’s as if he’s standing there right next to you, pulling back a fold of the curtains to show you life as he sees it.
I will not spoil the movie for you. Just go and see it. No, go and experience it. You will not be disappointed.
Y para Señor Almodóvar, gracias corazon. Gracias por todo.