I finally got the chance to watch two foreign films that I’ve been dying to see for quite some time! Aside from both being subtitled films that are also up for multiple Academy Awards, that’s about all they had it common. These two films were on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum!
I went early yesterday to go see the Spanish film starring Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory. Banderas and director, Pedro Almodovar, have worked together many times before, with the most recent being 2011’s The Skin I Live In (one of my favorite films of all time). This seemed to be a major departure from that film, especially considering this film is somewhat autobiographical. It follows Salvador, a successful director, who has since retired due to many physical and mental ailments. He reaches out to Alberto, who was the star of his most famous film to do a screening and Q&A. At the time, the two never got along, but this opportunity sees the two men squash their animosity towards each other. Alberto also introduces Salvador to heroin, which seems to help with his back pain and headaches.
Inter-spliced throughout the film are flashbacks to his childhood in a poor community, living in a cave. It is clear that Salvador is very intelligent, which is evident when he teaches a local man to read and write. All of this, however, never seems good enough for his mother. Salvador agrees to let Alberto use one of his more recent writings as a one-man play, where on opening night, Salvador’s old lover, Frederico, is in attendance. He ends up visiting and flirting with Salvador, but they part amicably. After realizing that his heroin use mirrors that of Fredirico’s past use. He decides to go to the doctor to get help with his back pain and drug use.
There’s so much more to this film, but I don’t want to spoil the ending! Really, it was such a beautiful film, and all of the acting was superb. As I’ve said in the past, if subtitles don’t bother you, then I highly recommend watching this film.
After a small break, I went back to the theater to see South Korean film, Parasite. This film was directed by the equally loved Snowpiercer and Okja, so I knew it was going to be good. Also, after seeing the film, I’ve decided that Wikipedia nails the genre of this movie: a black comedy thriller. It had all those elements woven intricately throughout the entire film, and it was a wild ride! The film follows the Kim family, who are either just lazy or really down on their luck (or both?). Either way, the Kim’s son gets the opportunity to be a tutor for the wealthy Park family, and then very slowly he brings the rest of his family into the Park’s lives.
It’s a wonderful depiction of classes, but also a symbiotic relationship between these two families. The name Parasite is truly fitting for the film, especially since there are more than the obvious ones to look out for. As the film nears the end, things start going haywire and I found myself clutching my face a few times in disbelief. I simply can’t say anything more without ruining this film entirely. This is maybe one of the best films I’ve ever seen and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s got everything you’d want in a film, and it seems expertly acted and shot.
You really can’t go wrong watching either of these, and I’d say I got the full spectrum of genres at the movie in one day. It was a great day, indeed.