Penelope Cruz is the prize desired by Jose Luis Gomez in "Broken Embraces"
Penelope Cruz shines in Pedro Almodovar’s latest film, “Broken Embraces”
And to think I ever questioned Penelope Cruz’s sex appeal.
The Spanish actress first burst on the American movie scene a decade ago, appearing as the exotic love interest in such films as “All the Pretty Horses,” “Blow” and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” She stirred up industry buzz as Tom Cruise’s onscreen/off-screen arm candy in “Vanilla Sky,” and fanned the flames as Matthew McConaughey’s co-star in “Sahara.”
Yet, for years, Cruz’s charms escaped me. What was the deal with that funny accent? What about that long nose? That thin upper lip? I just didn’t get it.
It wasn’t until her Oscar-nominated turn in “Volver,” Pedro Almodovar’s tragicomedy about romance, murder and motherhood, that I finally understood Cruz’s crushing, heart-breaking appeal.
As an actress, she’s a powerful, poignant force of nature, bubbling with vivacious humor and brimming with heartfelt emotion. As a screen presence, Cruz — admittedly no classic beauty — is simply sensational.
Just witness her sexy, scintillating performance as Javier Bardem’s ex-wife in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” her moving role as Ben Kingsley’s lover in “Elegy,” and you’d be willing to swear that Cruz, with her huge brown eyes, exquisite figure and expressive voice, is one of the greatest beauties to grace the silver screen.
In Almodovar’s latest film, “Broken Embraces,” Cruz is once again the object of affection — loved, lusted after and pursued by two very different men.
We first meet Lena (Cruz) in flashbacks as a secretary working for powerful business mogul Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez).
Add up Lena’s cancer-stricken father and Ernesto’s overwhelming yen to bed his much younger and foxier employee, and the outcome should be pretty obvious: Lena goes from trusted staffer to kept woman.
Years later, however, lovely Lena is growing weary of her gilded cage.
The aspiring actress auditions for film director Mateo Blanco (Lluis Homar), who easily succumbs to Lena’s charms. She gets the part and Ernesto — never one to deny his mistress’ whims — agrees to finance the film, a cute little comedy called “Girls and Suitcases.”
Again, I think you can see where this is going.
Soon Lena finds herself torn between jealous Ernesto, who wants to possess her, heart, body and soul, and intelligent, passionate Mateo, whose love for Lena threatens to compromise his better judgment. Their affair — dutifully videotaped by Ernesto’s creepy son (Ruben Ochandiano) — and the resulting web of lies, lust, manipulation and obsession threatens to swallow up all of them.
With its sexually charged plot, anguished characters and technicolor palette, “Broken Embraces” has all the sublety of a Latin American telenovela. It’s a shameless melodrama, a big-screen soap opera rife with heated arguments, empassioned lovemaking and the kind of family secrets that close a season finale.
Yet, although the action occasionally borders on campy, Almodovar never ceases to hold our attention.
His brilliance shines through the movie’s quieter moments between Mateo (now a blind, embittered writer who goes by his scriptwriting pseudonym, Harry Caine), his former production manager (Blanca Portillo) and her son (Tamar Novas). Their relationship provides a real-world counterpoint to fevered days gone by.
“Broken Embraces” is hardly a perfect film, but it is certainly a beautiful one.
Just the sight of Lena at her screen test — now donning a blowsy Marilyn Monroe wig and eyeball earrings, now Audrey Hepburn bangs and ponytail — should tell you why.
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Image courtesy of MovieWeb.com.
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