An Almodovar fan for decades, I couldn't wait to see his newest film after recently seeing a trailer for it while viewing Paul Verhoeven's newest, "Elle," with Isabelle Huppert: I drove 75 miles to see "Julieta" in the only city it was playing near me currently. The theater was packed and you could feel the anticipation as the lights went down, but, as the film progressed, my, my friend's, and many audience members' enjoyment of the evening started to flag. On the positive side, Almodovar and his Director of Photography (and set and costume designers) deliver a typical-for-Almodovar beautiful-to-look-at film, filled with primary colors and interesting locales, and the film is very well-acted by all involved, but as the screenplay unfolds it becomes obvious this is one of Almodovar's lesser efforts--the melodrama not as intense or surprising (or fun) as in many of his past films, and the ending one of the most unsatisfying in memory (of any film). There was some applause at the end, but it was limp and scattered--most audience members obviously thought the film just O.K. or worse. If you're a fan, it's worth seeing, as you'll appreciate his cast and the acting (and the look of the film), as I did, but if you don't know who Almodovar is or you're looking for a great film, "Julieta" isn't it.
Review of Julieta
