Judging by their gleeful self-referential natures — and in spite of dissimilar tastes and artistic inclinations — directors Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodóvar may very well be spiritual brothers-in-arms.
The analogy between the risqué Spaniard and Tarantino has previously appeared in these pages, but the American maverick's "Kill Bill" epic provides the aptest entry point and correlate to Almodóvar's latest picture, "La Mala educación" ("Bad Education").
The two idiosyncratic filmmakers have lent newly charged credence to the timeworn auteur theory by miraculously transferring movies that could only exist in the deep recesses of their minds directly onscreen. The results from each might prove widely divergent, but the zealous commitment and ambition has been breathtaking; it's not surprising that "Education" concludes with the word "pasión" devouring the entire frame.
Like any effective mystery, the less said, the better. Hopefully the scantest summary will prove adequate and enticing enough.
Mainly set throughout 1980 Madrid, the story begins with a reunion between two former boarding school friends, Juan (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Enrique (Fele Martinez), the latter of whom has launched an auspicious career as a film director. Juan presents a short story loosely inspired by their school experiences with Fr. Manolo (Daniel Giménez Cacho), and Enrique, captivated by the tale's innocence and sense of personal lost, chooses it for his next project.
Remember, this being a film noir, nothing is as it seems — the three principles conspire and deceive, leading one another into a tragic collusion of memory, identity and art. Almodóvar rose through the ranks of international filmmaking following his previous two features, "All About My Mother" and the masterful "Talk to Her," both unanimously acclaimed Oscar-winners. They represented a departure for the director, trading his typical tongue-in-cheek kinkiness and provocation for uncharted emotional depth. In pushing himself as an artist and, one would suspect, an intrepid humanitarian, Almodóvar succeeded marvelously.
A Hitchcock homage that would put Brian De Palma to shame, "Education" marks a return to form of sorts, embracing the retro kitsch, color schemes and frank sexuality characteristic of his late 1980s, early 1990s era. Almodóvar doesn't again reach for evocative pathos, but this gay-themed monument to childhood, film, Catholicism and guilt gradually reveals the personal and creative impulses of its creator in ways hitherto unseen in his career.
From its exhilarating, Saul Bass-inspired opening credits, to the neatly overlapping and compelling narrative, "Education" will delight students of noir and world cinema and any open-minded audience. It's an absolute must-see.
Grade: A
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 10 2005.