As a later instalment in the continuing Almodovar lineage, Bad Education (La Mala Educacion, in the Spanish) tells not only the tale of abuse and homosexuality within the catholic church but first and fore-mostly a story of fractured lives and relationships. The film is a decidedly thought provoking and thoughtless journey, and the sincere impression is attained that the director has tackled the "issues" of his past, or rather created this film just a means to say "well that's done, now I can move on", and especially in the latter stages it certainly comes across as such.
Typical Almodovar? Well, yes and no. Firstly, yes because as always the director implements his notable and trademarked cinematographic means, as he fuses a sublime sense of style with his stark and brash use of not only primary colours, but those on the "extreme" side of the spectrum, such as bright lime greens in a way no other director would dare. No it's not Almodovar because the focus is strictly removed from the female of the species, in its stead we have a fair few characters dressing up as women, but the presence of a feminine drive is absent. One reviewer claims there is a lack of a bizarre story-line which in turn makes this Un-Almodovarian, but obviously he and I were watching different films. True it's perhaps not quite as outlandish but the goings on, lives being swapped and shattered and the way in which it is gone about, I'd be more than willing to say verges on the silly at times.
Bad Education, is terribly frustrating as its opening half works incredibly well. The tri-tiered interweaving stories and the manner in which they are told, so that we have a film within a film within a film, is highly clever. The storytelling at first is slick and engaging but latterly descends into farce and I think this is down to the way in which the director initially forewent his usual instincts in creating a surrealist story, only to return to them when the story was neither needed nor befitting of one.
Bad Education for all the transcribed faults I believe there to be, is a pretty decent affair, the actors deal exemplary with the roles and circumstances in which they are given, watching Ignacio going through the inner turmoil and the mixed emotions of having to dig up his past and Father Manolo's descent from man of god to bonefide pervert are both unsettling experiences, but in the right way. It's just in the later stages there is this sense that the story, film etc, all of it has been rushed, because the shift in pace of the film is not needed. You get the impression that the director at this stage wishes to get the film over and done with, that it is a mile stone he is happy to tackle on a personal level, but not necessarily one he wishes to dwell upon. The forced and bizarre second half of Bad Education does somewhat lessen the entire experience and almost trivialises what up till this point had been an absorbing account. To summarise in report format, Effort: B, Attainment: 3, Teachers Comments: "Started well but we know he can do better".
Typical Almodovar? Well, yes and no. Firstly, yes because as always the director implements his notable and trademarked cinematographic means, as he fuses a sublime sense of style with his stark and brash use of not only primary colours, but those on the "extreme" side of the spectrum, such as bright lime greens in a way no other director would dare. No it's not Almodovar because the focus is strictly removed from the female of the species, in its stead we have a fair few characters dressing up as women, but the presence of a feminine drive is absent. One reviewer claims there is a lack of a bizarre story-line which in turn makes this Un-Almodovarian, but obviously he and I were watching different films. True it's perhaps not quite as outlandish but the goings on, lives being swapped and shattered and the way in which it is gone about, I'd be more than willing to say verges on the silly at times.
Bad Education, is terribly frustrating as its opening half works incredibly well. The tri-tiered interweaving stories and the manner in which they are told, so that we have a film within a film within a film, is highly clever. The storytelling at first is slick and engaging but latterly descends into farce and I think this is down to the way in which the director initially forewent his usual instincts in creating a surrealist story, only to return to them when the story was neither needed nor befitting of one.
Bad Education for all the transcribed faults I believe there to be, is a pretty decent affair, the actors deal exemplary with the roles and circumstances in which they are given, watching Ignacio going through the inner turmoil and the mixed emotions of having to dig up his past and Father Manolo's descent from man of god to bonefide pervert are both unsettling experiences, but in the right way. It's just in the later stages there is this sense that the story, film etc, all of it has been rushed, because the shift in pace of the film is not needed. You get the impression that the director at this stage wishes to get the film over and done with, that it is a mile stone he is happy to tackle on a personal level, but not necessarily one he wishes to dwell upon. The forced and bizarre second half of Bad Education does somewhat lessen the entire experience and almost trivialises what up till this point had been an absorbing account. To summarise in report format, Effort: B, Attainment: 3, Teachers Comments: "Started well but we know he can do better".