Broken Embraces main backdrop
Broken Embraces main poster

Broken Embraces

Visit website

7.1/10 • 672

2009-03-182h 7m

DramaRomanceThriller

Passion, obsession, wealth, jealousy, family, guilt, and creativity.

Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie.

Directors
Pedro Almodóvar
Writters
Pedro Almodóvar
Editors
Pedro Almodóvar, José Salcedo

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Penélope Cruz

    Penélope Cruz

    Lena

  2. Lluís Homar

    Lluís Homar

    Mateo Blanco / Harry Caine

  3. Blanca Portillo

    Blanca Portillo

    Judit García

  4. José Luis Gómez

    José Luis Gómez

    Ernesto Martel

  5. Rubén Ochandiano

    Rubén Ochandiano

    Ray X

  6. Tamar Novas

    Tamar Novas

    Diego

  7. Ángela Molina

    Ángela Molina

    Lena's Mother

  8. Chus Lampreave

    Chus Lampreave

    Concierge

  9. Kiti Mánver

    Kiti Mánver

    Madame Mylene

Reviews1

View Reviews
badelf Avatar

badelf

May 3, 2025

7/10

Broken Embraces: Almodóvar's Hitchcockian Love Letter to Cinema In "Broken Embraces," Pedro Almodóvar doesn't so much break new ground as he refines the soil he has long cultivated. Following masterworks like "Talk to Her" and "Volver," this film represents not a revolution but an elegant culmination of the Spanish auteur's preoccupations, filtered through a distinctly Hitchcockian lens. The film unfolds as a complex origami of narrative, with time folding back upon itself to reveal the tragic love story between filmmaker Mateo Blanco and his muse Lena. Here, Almodóvar pays homage to Hitchcock's fascination with voyeurism, doomed romance, and the thin line between creation and destruction. The film's noir elements – jealousy, revenge, hidden identities – feel like deliberate nods to the Master of Suspense, yet remain unmistakably Almodóvarian in their execution. At the center of this kaleidoscopic narrative stands Penélope Cruz, delivering a performance of remarkable complexity. As Lena, she exists simultaneously as object and subject, victim and agent of her own destiny. Cruz accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of projecting emotional transparency while maintaining an enigmatic core – we feel we know Lena intimately yet remain haunted by her fundamental unknowability. It's a testament to Cruz's evolution as an actress under Almodóvar's guidance. The meta-cinematic aspects of "Broken Embraces" – the film-within-a-film, the exploration of directorial vision (and its literal loss), the power dynamics of the creative process – create a hall of mirrors where art and life endlessly reflect one another. Almodóvar seems to be commenting on his own relationship with cinema, suggesting that creation itself is a form of obsessive love. Visually, the film showcases Almodóvar's mastery of color symbolism and compositional precision. Each frame feels deliberately constructed, with his signature vibrant palette serving narrative purpose rather than mere aesthetic pleasure. The contrast between the warm, sensual tones of the love affair and the cooler, more austere palette of the aftermath tells its own emotional story. "Broken Embraces" may not represent a dramatic leap forward in Almodóvar's filmography, but it demonstrates something equally valuable: a master filmmaker confidently synthesizing his influences and obsessions into a work of surprising emotional resonance. Like Hitchcock's later films, it feels like the work of an artist less interested in shocking his audience than in revealing the profound mysteries that have always driven his creative vision.

Media

  • Broken Embraces poster
  • Broken Embraces poster
  • Broken Embraces poster

Recommendations

  • No Backdrop

    The Cannibalistic Councillor

    6.2

  • Blithe Spirit main backdrop

    Blithe Spirit

    7.0

  • Mr. & Mrs. Bridge main backdrop

    Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

    6.0

  • Dark Horse main backdrop

    Dark Horse

    5.7

  • Proxy main backdrop

    Proxy

    5.5

  • Lost Embrace main backdrop

    Lost Embrace

    6.3

  • In the City of Sylvia main backdrop

    In the City of Sylvia

    6.8

  • No Backdrop

    Once Upon a Time… All About My Mother

    8.0

  • Perrier's Bounty main backdrop

    Perrier's Bounty

    5.8

  • Reza main backdrop

    Reza

    4.8

  • Homecoming – Marina Abramović and Her Children main backdrop

    Homecoming – Marina Abramović and Her Children

    7.0

  • No Backdrop

    Eran

    0.0

  • Live Flesh main backdrop

    Live Flesh

    7.0

  • Tokyo-Ga main backdrop

    Tokyo-Ga

    7.0

  • Volver main backdrop

    Volver

    7.5

  • Madadayo main backdrop

    Madadayo

    7.3

  • Barbara main backdrop

    Barbara

    6.0

  • Concussion main backdrop

    Concussion

    5.2

  • One Crazy Summer main backdrop

    One Crazy Summer

    6.0

  • Bad Education main backdrop

    Bad Education

    7.4

Status
Released
Original Language
Spanish
Budget
$18,000,000.00
Revenue
$30,991,660.00
Keywords
jealousymadrid, spainobsessionlove