Some Awards are better than others

Oscars 2020

The movie I loved in 2019 was Pain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria). It won nothing, but two nominations, one for Best International Feature Picture and one for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role. Parasite won the first, Joaquin Phoenix won the latter for his performance in Joker. In situations like this, we all create a list of the “deserving” who got “snubbed”. It looks a bit in bad faith though, you know? It makes me feel like a 5 year old that got the candy stolen from them. And I haven’t been five in a very long time.

Now that the Oscars are done, I will soon sit down and write why I absolutely adore Almodóvar’s latest piece of art without trying to sell it to you who already give me the honour of reading me. But, that’s for another day.

Today I will discuss Parasite “making history” in the American Academy Awards by being the first foreign language movie winning Best Motion Picture. Unsurprisingly, it also won Best International Motion Picture as well because how couldn’t it?

Law of Desire: Almodóvar’s tragic hero

I started writing about Pain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria) and then I knew I couldn’t post it due to spoiling the whole movie for any person who hasn’t watched it yet.

And it’s quite possible you have no clue what I’m talking about.

But, that’s OK.

Find it and watch it. Pain and Glory, that is. Watch it! And I’ll soon enough post my opinion/analysis of it.

Until then, let me (as if you have a saying over this) share my thoughts about Law of Desire (La Ley Del Deseo). This is a strictly character analysis (big word here… affection is the right one), I have no intention on analysing cinematography or the script or the beautiful shots of all the beautiful people Almodóvar used to tell one version of his story.

It is written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. It was released in February of 1987, so it was most probably shot in the previous year. It was the first film Almodóvar made independently with his own production company El Deseo.

Law of Desire was Almodóvar’s first work centred in homosexual relationships exploring the unrestrained force of desire. Its themes are: love, loss, gender, family, religion, abuse, sexuality and the close link between life and art.

The story is set in Madrid and other towns, and follows the story of Pablo, a movie and theatre director and screenwriter, and how unwillingly his actions bring tragedy to the lives of those he loves. Tina Quintero is his sister, an actress, mostly working with and for him. She’s the guardian of a ten year old girl, Ada. Juan is Pablo’s young lover. Antonio is a young man who becomes obsessed with Pablo as a person and as an artist. Their lives will become intertwined in ways that will change them and their relationships forever.

If you haven’t watched Law of Desire, this is the right moment to click back. What follows is full of spoilers. And lot’s of adoration. It’s sickly sweet how much adoration you’ll find here.