Whenever most people hear the phrase 'foreign film', they think, "Oh Crap! Now I have to sit through a three hour long boring movie reading." Most people excluding me dismiss foreign films because the idea of reading turns them off. I admit that I find a lot of foreign films to be an absolute bore, but there's something about the foreign films by Pedro Almodovar that just make me excited and spark my interest. The well-established Spanish filmmaker always provides provocative pictures that not only entertain the spirit but challenge the mind. His last film 'Hable Con Ella' or in English 'Talk to Her' was probably his best, and I thought it to be impossible to beat his astounding film that preceded it, 'All About My Mother'. I was expecting a hell of a lot from 'Bad Education' and that's probably why I didn't like it as much as I could have. Although 'Bad Education' is probably Almodovar's most provocative, shocking and most sexually explicit and outrageous film to date, it falls short of the brilliance of his other films. It's still a very good movie though, despite it's flaws and disappointments.
'Bad Education' starts out as a drama. It's about two child-hood friends who grew up in an orphanage, Enrique and Ignacio. They were best friends and lovers also. After not seeing or hearing from each other for about fifteen years, Ignacio looks Enrique up (who has since then become a controversial filmmaker). Ignacio is working as an actor and when he re-unites with Enrique he proposes a film based on the book he wrote. The book is about them, and their past together in a Spanish orphanage. It's about their love affair and the mincing boy-hungry pedophile priest that used to taunt, molest and bother Ignacio, who was his altar boy. The book is half non-fiction, and half fiction (the fiction segment is on how they later grew up and what they became -- Ignacio became a transvestite in the story and Enrique was a photographer who rode a motorcycle.) After Enrique reads Ignacio's (who know likes to be referred to as Angel, his stage name) story, he falls in love with it and immediately aspires to make it into a movie. After that the film becomes more of a thriller. I can't tell you why without giving away some secrets, but I can tell you it involves murder, betrayal, lies, sex-changes, molestation and that crazy, disgusting and manipulative pedophile/priest.
The film has some incredible acting especially from the two leads. Gael Garcia Bernal is nothing short of wonderful as the confused and haunted Angel/Ignacio, but the real stand-out is Fele Martinez who gives a startling and very powerful performance as Enrique, the Spanish filmmaker. Daniel Gimenez Cacho gives a multi-layered and well-delivered performance as the sicko priest and Lluis Homar is equally as brilliant in a role that I can't tell you without giving too much away. Another very talented performer worth mentioning is Nacho Perez who plays Ignacio in his kid years. This child is an amazing actor and I predict a strong and successful future in the Spanish entertainment industry for him. Pedro Almodovar does an excellent job directing, and his writing is pretty good despite a few holes when the plot is unraveling towards the end. Almodovar delivers a good film, just with some flaws and shortcomings. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but with Almodovar it frustrates you because you know such a talented filmmaker is capable of doing a better film. It's still very good, it's just not too amazing, but it is shocking. This film is jam-packed full of sex, nudity and strong sex-related dialogue. It has explicit oral and anal intercourse sequences with Enrique and Ignacio (grown up) that will definitely disturb the homophobes in the audience among others, a scene where two eleven year old boys pleasure each other in a movie theater (it's about as tasteful as can be though, no close-ups and it doesn't last more then fifteen seconds), and many scenes shared between Ignacio, Enrique and some other characters that involve very frank, demeaning and graphic sexual references. This is definitely not a film you bring your mother to.
'Bad Education' is still a very good movie, despite it's flaws and extreme subject matter. It thrills and keeps you interested, and that's pretty much all we can ask for movies today. In closing, Pedro Almodovar reminds me of an older Spanish version of Todd Solondz. Both take us places we don't usually get to go. They defy the rules of what can or can't be done in the movie realm, and they try to expose us to as much taboos as possible. The reason it's fun and exciting to watch a Almodovar film is because we know we'll go someplace out of the ordinary. In this age of mainstream Hollywood crap with simple formulas to follow, these 'walks on the wild side' kind of pictures Almodovar provides us with is a blessing. Grade: B
'Bad Education' starts out as a drama. It's about two child-hood friends who grew up in an orphanage, Enrique and Ignacio. They were best friends and lovers also. After not seeing or hearing from each other for about fifteen years, Ignacio looks Enrique up (who has since then become a controversial filmmaker). Ignacio is working as an actor and when he re-unites with Enrique he proposes a film based on the book he wrote. The book is about them, and their past together in a Spanish orphanage. It's about their love affair and the mincing boy-hungry pedophile priest that used to taunt, molest and bother Ignacio, who was his altar boy. The book is half non-fiction, and half fiction (the fiction segment is on how they later grew up and what they became -- Ignacio became a transvestite in the story and Enrique was a photographer who rode a motorcycle.) After Enrique reads Ignacio's (who know likes to be referred to as Angel, his stage name) story, he falls in love with it and immediately aspires to make it into a movie. After that the film becomes more of a thriller. I can't tell you why without giving away some secrets, but I can tell you it involves murder, betrayal, lies, sex-changes, molestation and that crazy, disgusting and manipulative pedophile/priest.
The film has some incredible acting especially from the two leads. Gael Garcia Bernal is nothing short of wonderful as the confused and haunted Angel/Ignacio, but the real stand-out is Fele Martinez who gives a startling and very powerful performance as Enrique, the Spanish filmmaker. Daniel Gimenez Cacho gives a multi-layered and well-delivered performance as the sicko priest and Lluis Homar is equally as brilliant in a role that I can't tell you without giving too much away. Another very talented performer worth mentioning is Nacho Perez who plays Ignacio in his kid years. This child is an amazing actor and I predict a strong and successful future in the Spanish entertainment industry for him. Pedro Almodovar does an excellent job directing, and his writing is pretty good despite a few holes when the plot is unraveling towards the end. Almodovar delivers a good film, just with some flaws and shortcomings. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but with Almodovar it frustrates you because you know such a talented filmmaker is capable of doing a better film. It's still very good, it's just not too amazing, but it is shocking. This film is jam-packed full of sex, nudity and strong sex-related dialogue. It has explicit oral and anal intercourse sequences with Enrique and Ignacio (grown up) that will definitely disturb the homophobes in the audience among others, a scene where two eleven year old boys pleasure each other in a movie theater (it's about as tasteful as can be though, no close-ups and it doesn't last more then fifteen seconds), and many scenes shared between Ignacio, Enrique and some other characters that involve very frank, demeaning and graphic sexual references. This is definitely not a film you bring your mother to.
'Bad Education' is still a very good movie, despite it's flaws and extreme subject matter. It thrills and keeps you interested, and that's pretty much all we can ask for movies today. In closing, Pedro Almodovar reminds me of an older Spanish version of Todd Solondz. Both take us places we don't usually get to go. They defy the rules of what can or can't be done in the movie realm, and they try to expose us to as much taboos as possible. The reason it's fun and exciting to watch a Almodovar film is because we know we'll go someplace out of the ordinary. In this age of mainstream Hollywood crap with simple formulas to follow, these 'walks on the wild side' kind of pictures Almodovar provides us with is a blessing. Grade: B