All About My Mother

ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER
PATHE DISTRIBUTION
RELEASED 27 August 1999

On her son’s birthday, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) takes him to see ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ at the theatre. After a tragic accident, Manuela leaves Madrid for Barcelona in search of her son’s father. In Barcelona she finds an old friend who so happens to be a transvestite prostitute. Together they renew their friendship and face the oncoming challenges of AIDS, drug addiction, and the arrival of the ‘Streetcar’ production. Spanish director Pedro Almodovar is well-known for his strong womens’ films and ‘Mother’ successfully deals with motherhood, solidarity and loss in a poignant manner. The humour translates extremely well (it’s subtitled) and the dialogue is fresh and honest. It’s easy to see why this was a massive hit in Spain.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE