Writer-director Pedro Almodovar brings his unique sensibilities to the silver screen again, this time with BAD EDUCATION. Almodovar favorite Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Juan, or Angel, when he is cross-dressing, an aspiring actor and screenwriter who is seeking work. Juan accidentally reunites with Enrique, an ex-boyfriend, after an interview with a small-time film executive. Enrique is the real deal maker, and is curious if Juan has continued to write screenplays. Juan allows him to read his latest, a personal tale of sexual abuse, and Enrique and Juan’s relationship becomes much more complicated.
Almodovar specializes in bizarre melodramas that are very narrow in their appeal. Outside of TALK TO HER, the scope of his dramas are limited and leave me feeling disconnected. The situations that Juan finds himself in, and his drastic actions, are alien to me in many ways. Not only can I not relate to his circumstances, but the characters emotions seem foreign to me as well. It’s a shame that Almodovar’s works leave me detached, because his aesthetic is as good as any director working today. The opening credit sequence plays as a tribute to Hitchcock, and several images of his can burn into your memory. Bernal does a nice job creating a mysterious and mischievous character, even if his actions and emotions appear unreasonable. Although BAD EDUCATION leaves a lasting impression, it’s completely isolated on an emotional level.
Grade: C
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