Parallel Mothers

Image from “Parallel mothers” by Pedro Almodovar

When we go to see a film by Pedro Almodovar we are always prepared to enjoy a piece in which the aesthetics are taken care of down to the smallest details; “Parallel Mothers” is no exception, the selection of colors, the pieces on the tables, the fruits, the flavor of the ice creams that the actors eat, the paintings that decorate the rooms and, of course, the fantastic costumes.

We also expect fluid and ingenious dialogues from Almodovar, which in “Parallel Mothers” are enhanced with a fascinating handling of tones and communication devices. A dialogue is never dislocated from the character, we always have that feeling of surprise and, at the same time, of familiarity; Almodovar’s characters are there as a kind of avatars of us.

Another thing we always expect from Almodovar is humor, but not easy humor, but painful humor, the kind that turns scenes into mirrors of ourselves. In Almodovar’s films we laugh at what we see and then understand that we are laughing at ourselves.

However, something I did not expect when I went into the cinema yesterday to see “Parallel Mothers”, is that the theme of strangers giving birth at the same moment was going to connect so strongly with the history of a country. He does not expect to see that the way in which technology allows us to fill in the gaps in our knowledge can be a metaphor for the way in which we contact and desperately search for clues to understand what we really are, as humanity, as a country and as a persons.

“Parallel Mothers” is a brilliant example of how the mystery of our individual lives is multiplied through our relationships. I came out of the film looking around me and understanding that there is no more important reason to live than to connect with who we really are and with what we really love.

Madres Paralelas

Cuando vamos a ver una película de Pedro Almodovar estamos preparados siempre para disfrutar una pieza en la que la estética esta cuidada hasta en los mas mínimos detalles; “Madres paralelas” no es una excepción, la selección de colores, las piezas encima de las mesas, las frutas, el sabor de los helados que comen los actores, los cuadros que decoran la habitaciones y, por supuesto, el vestuario fantástico.