But not since the Italian, Life is Beautiful ( La vita è bella ),
got itself noticed, courtesy of its deserved success in the
1999 Academy Awards, has a non-English language film
graced the British multiplex screens.Although it's not receiving as much screen time as it should, All About My
Mother is a welcome change from the down to earth British genre and
the American blockbusters. Pathé continue to add to their list of
successful releases of recent years; Pi,
Ed TV and, most noticeably,
The Blair Witch Project.
The story follows Manuela and her son Esteban as he celebrates his 17th
birthday. A birthday Manuela will never forget as her son is killed in a car
crash, a son who has never known his father, a son who has been told that his
father died before he was born.
In despair and darkness, Manuela leaves Madrid to return to Barcelona and seek
out her former husband, also an Esteban, to tell him of the son of which he
is unaware.
As she searches Barcelona she meets up with her old friend Agrado and, in a
complex journey of coincidences and surprises, interwoven around a stage
production of A Street Car Named Desire, encounters a pregnant nun,
Sister Rosa, an actress, Huma Rojo, and her drug addicted sidekick, Nina.
This is a story of crossed paths and inter-twining destinies but, always,
the story is rolled out, and along, with crystal clear clarity.
This is a film where the people are real; the performances are so solid and
convincing that it is impossible to believe otherwise. No matter how insane
or unlikely one may view the course of events in hindsight there is still a
credibility which cannot be stripped away.
That two major characters are transvestites is nothing that shocks us. They are
not vehicles of ridicule or an obscenity, they are just who they are, they are
a part of humanity. They, like the rest of the characters, are so well
constructed and full of life that they are not out of the norm.
This is an integration of everything that is good which can be put into a single
film, captured by a director who has an eye for character and style. A blending
of everything great, so well done that the subtitles are not a distraction
and the spoken dialogue, although it may not be understandable, remains an
important part of, and adds to, the result.
This is a tragi-comedy without being depressing. It is emotion packed
with its characters being intensely crafted and brilliantly portrayed. It is
packed with astounding detail. It is both artistic and dramatic. Everything fits
together and, despite the sorrow which abounds, it has the incredible
ability to be uplifting and full of hope.
It is not surprising that Todo Sobre Mi Madre took Best Director Award
at the Cannes film festival and the international press selected it as the Best
Film at the event.
