Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos) (2009)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Main Menu Audio & Animation
Rating
Year Of Production	2009
Running Time	122:11 (Case: 127)
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (62:43)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Pedro Almodóvar
Studio Distributor	Paramount Home Entertainment	Starring	Penélope Cruz Lluís Homar Blanca Portillo José Luis Gómez Rubén Ochandiano Tamar Novas Ángela Molina Chus Lampreave Kiti Manver Lola Dueñas Mariola Fuentes
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	?	Music	Alberto Iglesias

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Spanish dts 5.1 (768Kb/s) Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English (Burned In)	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Pedro Almodovar is probably the most famous modern Spanish director, certainly in the English speaking world. He has now made more than 15 feature films in his long career and has also garnered many awards including an Oscar and a number of Cannes Film Festival awards. This, his most recent film, Los Abrazos Rotos or Broken Embraces, was nominated for many awards including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film and was an official selection at Cannes. I recently had the opportunity to review the re-release of his previous film Volver which has also recently been released on Blu-ray. This new film is less linear and straightforward than Volver and despite being interesting is not as compelling and emotionally involving as that film.

     The story is somewhat hard to describe but essentially it is the story of a number of personal relationships across 16 years from 1992 to 2008. The first main character we meet in 2008 is blind writer/ex-director Mateo Blanco (Lluis Homar) who now calls himself Harry Caine. He has brought a woman home who has helped him across the street and proceeds to seduce her. Shortly after his agent, Judit (Blanca Portillo), enters his apartment to tell him what she needs from him. Their relationship is one of those examined during the course of the film. Another important character introduced in this scene is Judit's son Diego, who assists Harry with his writing. We then go back to 1992 where we are introduced to a very successful businessman, Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez), and his secretary Lena (Penelope Cruz). Their relationship and how it intertwines with the characters already mentioned drives the majority of the film. Lena and Ernesto's relationship changes when her father becomes seriously ill and she needs money and eventually Ernesto's assistance to have him properly cared for. Drama, infidelity, romance, betrayal, filmmaking and secrets ensue.

     There is much to like about this film; a different and intriguing story, wonderful cinematography, a marvellous score and impressive performances by a cast of Almodovar regulars. It does not reveal everything to its audience with too much exposition rather keeping some secrets to be revealed later in the film. While watching the film there are things that won't make sense until towards the end. This is certainly not an issue as it keeps the mysterious nature of the story alive. Don't get me wrong; it’s not a mystery, it is just a story told in such a way to keep mystery in the story until the end. Some of the reveals are obvious but others are quite intriguing. The camera work includes interesting angles and the film kicks off with an extreme close-up of an eye which leads into a scene involving a blind man. The film is somewhat emotionally distant which I think is why it did not grab me as much as other Almodovar films. It also lacks the humorous angle of some of his other work.

     So, an interesting film with much to enjoy for cinephiles but not a film I would suggest as a place to start in Almodovar’s canon.

Video

     The video quality is very good.

     The feature is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, 16x9 enhanced which is the original aspect ratio. Some inserts are at approx. 1.85:1 which are of the film being made by Mateo Blanco starring Lena.

     The picture was very sharp without being quite as crisp as the best transfers. Shadow detail is very good. The colour was excellent showing Almodovar's vibrant colour scheme.

     The only artefact of note is quite significant edge enhancement from time to time (e.g. 84:04).

     There are subtitles in English which are burned into the print. They are clear and easy to read.

     The layer change is placed at 68:34 and is not noticeable during playback.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio quality is excellent. This DVD contains three audio options, a Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack encoded at 448 Kb/s, a Spanish DTS 5.1 soundtrack encoded at 768 Kb/s and a Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack encoded at 224 Kb/s. Despite the fact that this is hardly a film which tests out your home theatre, the soundtrack makes excellent use of the surround sound system providing significant and immersive atmosphere throughout especially the DTS track.

     Dialogue seemed clear and easy to understand although my Spanish doesn't extend much beyond Si Senor.

     The music by Alberto Iglesias is wonderfully atmospheric and expressive, significantly adding to the overall impact of the film.

     The surround speakers and subwoofer are well used for immersive music and atmospherics along with some specific effects.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    The menu included motion and music. It allows for language and scene selection.

    The Region 1 edition includes a variety of extras including featurettes, deleted scenes , interviews and a short film but does not include the DTS soundtrack option. Region 1 by a nose.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is excelent.

    No extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall