Talk To Her (Hable con ella) - Directed By Pedro Almodóvar, 2002

The film concentrates on an ostensibly vigilant caretaker named Benigno, who‘s fixation over a particular comatose patient, Alicia, becomes an obsession. Benigno also looks after another woman, Lydia, who happens to be an ex-spouse of a man named Marco. Marco, who has met Benigno, prior to the aforementioned events, is a journalist who leaves Lydia, after finding out a month before her accident; of her affair with a previous lover. Despite the circumstances, when Marco comes to visit Lydia, he and Benigno share a similar desperation for their “sleeping beauties to awaken”. Benigno encourages Marco to talk to Lydia, which may consequently result in a miracle of her revival. Marco believes this to be absurd and tries to instill a sense of logic in Benigno’s fantasy-filled mentality. Meanwhile, Alicia is discovered to be pregnant and Benigno is accused of raping her. He is quickly sent to Prison. His plans to in escape, by ingesting a large amount of drugs, backfire when he dies of overdose. Ironically, Alicia gains consciousness soon after. The Film ends with Marco spotting Alicia at a dance recital.


Major Theme
This film clearly shows the impact wishful thinking has on a person in love. To know someone just by looking at them, believing them to be faithful without asking or to be given a definite response is a figment of a lover’s expectation. This film reads a lesson that tells me, love is blind. The mind see’s simply everything you wish to see. And when you can further accept your thoughts to be an advocate to your heart, the result is what is shown in this film; longing, an act of desperation, the will to make your dreams a reality in some way, for the sake of love that may not have been mutual to begin with.

Reaction
I found this film to be overall captivating. It made me care for Benigno, feel his hurt and love. And as the movie twisted, it made me see what Benigno became, what depths he took to feed into this passion, he had created merely in his mind. It made me understand what love and loneliness can do to you. It was an amazing film.