Pedro Almodovar’s All About My Mother finds many of its characteristics steeped in classic melodramatic themes. The effects of love and death are felt throughout the film.
The entire beginning is a reflection of the entire beginning, if that makes any sense. We see Manuela (Cecilia Roth) through the eyes of Esteban II (Eloy Azorin). His perception of her is one that is very high, and his only real regret in life is that he does not know his father. That’s an all together different heartbreaking moment. We also get hints as to Manuela’s acting career, and her career as a nurse. Almodovar almost mocks us by having her act in a scene that she will later experience in her own life.
The theatre and Streetcar specifically are very important to the story. The theatre seems to represent a past life. Manuela met Esteban-Lola in Streetcar, who brings life to two of the most important people in her life, but also brings death in at least one person whom Manuela cares very much for, Sister Rosa. Streetcar represents two important melodramatic motifs. Compassion, or a bond of solidarity, is best echoed when Blanche’s character says, “I have always relied on the kindness of strangers.” The forceful illustration of sexual exploration are closely related to desire, the other important motif conveyed to us through the movie.
Sister Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a nun, was impregnated by Esteban-Lola (Toni Cantó). This child of theirs because Esteban III and became Manuela’s second chance at being a mother, although she has been a mother figure to everyone in the film. Esteban III is known as “the miracle child” because of the impractically of the couple and because he looks to have beaten AIDS. That starkly contrasts how Manuela views Esteban III’s father. She says to him, “You are not a human being Lola, you are an epidemic.” Esteban-Lola only comes into the our view because he wants to witness the death he has caused by spreading AIDS. At Rosa’s funeral is where the above quote happened and is the first time Manuela and Lola have seen each other since she left him before she had his son, 17 years earlier. It is only now that he finds out that he had a son that he never knew, it got worse because he found out he was already dead.
This film sticks with Almodovar's views of strong women characters and of the discarded, marginal people and the non-traditional family. The strongest advocate for all of these motifs would be the character of Agrado (Antonia San Juan) a transexual. At one point she goes through all of the surgeries she has had to become "authentic" which is a throw back to an actual event that happened in South America.
The film is full of strong messages and deep meaning. There is a good chance that if you haven't seen the film the above statements and assessments make no sense to you. Either way, if you love cinema you need to familarize yourself with his work. All about my Mother was my first exposure to him and it is a stand alone film that makes a lot of sense and gives you a reason to go back and celebrate the rest of his contributions to film.
Definately one of my favorite films of all time.