Pain and Glory

3.6

(613)

Drama

2019

114 min

Salvador Mallo, a filmmaker in the twilight of his career, remembers his life: his mother, his lovers, the actors he worked with. The sixties in a small village in Valencia, the eighties in Madrid, the present, when he feels an immeasurable emptiness, facing his mortality, the incapability of continuing filming, the impossibility of separating creation from his own life. The need of narrating his past can be his salvation.

Starring:

Drama

Lgbtq+

7.5/10

91%

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""I thought the strength of my love would defeat his addiction. But it wasn't so. Love isn't enough. Maybe love can move mountains, but it isn't enough to save the person you love.”"

Sandy Lopez

"This is in fact my first ever Pedro Almodóvar film, and a fantastic start it is! This film is a powerful look at depression, with an examination of a man's life choices he has made along the way. I was hooked from the first frame, particularly struck by the lived-in quality of the performances as well as the editing (that effortlessly jumps back and forth between flashbacks and present day without ever feeling confusing), score, screenplay, and the cinematography. Antonio Banderas was perfectly well cast in this role, effectively allowing the viewer to navigate the state of the main character's mind (an incredibly well deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor for him), with Penelope Cruz also being great as the mother. Even with no prior exposure to Almodóvar's work, the mastery of Pedro has over his craft was easily evident, and it is easy to see why his work is so acclaimed. Worth watching for sure. On a related note, this has made me definitely interested in checking out more of Pedro Almodóvar's films. I am especially excited to see his upcoming English-language debut film THE ROOM NEXT DOOR starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, which just won the Golden Lion (the top prize) at the Venice Film Festival just a few hours ago."

Aditya

"Based on Almodovar’s own life. Loved the film. The kiss between Antonio Banderas and Leonardo Sbaraglia deserves its own nomination🔥"

Oleg Jelezniakov

"Pride Day 15: Is it enough to make this list for a movie to have a central gay protagonist even if the movie doesn't really center on it? I'm going to say yes if for no other reason than it's already tough to find 30 gay movies I have seen and like even if I'm not playing on hard mode. Pain & Glory is also unequivocally just a really solid movie too. It's about a film director who feels his best years are behind him. The film kind of meanders around but like... In a compelling way. I think you would have a tough time plotting this movie to Hero of a Thousand faces though. It's helped on this list by the fact that I think that his discussion with his ex lover is legitimately the most compelling scene in the film. I don't know if this movie will be for everyone but I do truly recommend it."