Julieta (2016)

Very disappointing...

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Pedro Almodover 2oth feature film being an engaging and thought provoking melodrama dealing with a middle age woman , Emma Suarez , living in Madrid with her sweetheart , Dario Grandinetti , about to move towards Lisboa . She , then , decides to stay only in Madrid to take on her existence and the most essential deeds about her missing daughter , Priscila Delgado . Julieta begins to record by writing her sad memories when she was a teen , Adriana Ugarte , and how she meets a fisher, Daniel Grao , and falls for him . Interesting and agreeable drama by Almodovar plenty of passions , love , death and twists. Great performances from Emma Suárez and Adriana Ugarte. Being based on 3 stories by Alice Munro titled Chance, Soon and Silence from his collection Runaway . Attractive as well as sensational support cast plenty of Almodovar familiar faces such as Dario Grandinetti, Rossi De Palma in her seventh collaboration , along with others as Daniel Grao , Imma cuesta, Natalie Poza, Michelle Jenner, Susi Sánchez , Joaquin Notario , Pilar Castro .Sensitive and enjoyable soundtrack by Oscar Winner Alberto Iglesias , Almodovar regular. Colorful and evocative cinematography by Jean Claude Larrieu and a lot of frames contains the Red color. La motion picture was well directed by Pedro Almodovar in his usual style, being produced by his brother Agustin Almodovar and their production company , El Deseo . This is Almodovar return to women's drama which he has not directed on since Volver . Almodovar is considered to be one of the best fimmakers of the film history . He has got a lot of hits with dramatic films as Talk to her , Volver , The flower of My secret , The sin I live in, Abrazos rotos , Carne Trémula, Tacones Lejanos , Ley Del Deseo , Que he hecho yo para merecer esto , Matador ! , but also has made comedies as Women on the edge of breakdown , Kika , Laberinto de pasiones , I am so excited and Pepi Lucia Bom.

Julieta is a troubled woman living in Madrid with boyfriend Lorenzo. They are moving when she runs into Bea, former best friend of her daughter Antia. Bea tells her about running into Anita and her three children. It's been 12 years since Anita ran away and Julieta has never met her own grandchildren. Julieta moves back into her old apartment hoping Antia would contact her. She starts writing a letter recounting her life starting with meeting Anita's father Xoan. There is Xoan's artist friend Ava. Julieta's parents have marital issues. An incident sets Anita off with a radically changed personality.Am I the only who wanted and expected to see adult Antia and her three kids? It seems like the movie is missing its third act. It talks about Antia's change but it doesn't confront it. Often, it's other people talking about her change. It needs the big reunion scene. It needs to be more explicit about her issues and her suspicions about her mother. There are loads of stuff left on the table. I'm assuming that Pedro Almodóvar is making the movie about Julieta but I'm just as interested in Antia. This is a nice character piece but I want more. Maybe he'll make Antia next. That would make for a nice double feature.

At first glance, a writer like Alice Munro is a very odd choice for Almodovar. I can't think of an artist less like the Spanish director. Her quiet, restrained and disciplined writing is the polar opposite of the man who gave us Todo sobre mi madre. Yet it works, because Almodovar is seeking a more profound way of communication, without the glamour and tawdriness he came to prominence with.Emma Suarez is very effective here; she reminds me of Annette Bening at her best. Adriana Ugarte is less accomplished, relying on a fetching smile to make her points. The other actors give good support. I liked Daniel Grao as the fisherman who wins Julieta's heart.

After a casual encounter, a brokenhearted woman decides to confront her life and the most important events about her stranded daughter. I know that Julieta is a romantic and dramatic tale and sure it's trying to be that thing but the overall story for me at least felt a bit dull and even the 2 leading women that play the mother and daughter just don't have an interesting story as well. Also this does seem like a Pedro Almodóvar movie because here and there it's bit cheesy and over the top and sure the overall plot might sound a bit interesting but the whole film was just very disappointing and i really wanted to like this but i just couldn't (3/10)