HABLE CON ELLA/TALK TO HER

Spain, 2002, 107 minutes, colour.
Javier Camara, Dario Grandinetti, Leonor Watling, Rosario Flores, Mariola Fuentes, Geraldine Chaplin, Pina Bausch.
Directed by Pedro Almodovar.

For those who have followed the career of Spanish director, Pedro Almodovar, from his small budget eccentric takes on post Franco Spain to his more serious critiques (Matador) and his popular entertainments (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Almodovar's work from the mid-90s showed a distinctive flair in his storytelling, colourful and melodramatic, but with a greater sympathy for characters and an intelligent and emotional attitude towards deeper human issues. This was confirmed when he won the 1999 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director at Cannes as well as the Ecumenical Award for All About My Mother. Hable Con Ella continues this multi-layered film-making. It is a film which repays second viewing. Almodovar won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay, 2002.

While the film opens with a performance by the Pina Bausch company, depicting blinded women crashing into walls but being saved from further accident by a man trying to remove chairs in their way, two men in the audience are deeply moved, one to tears. In a way, we are given the themes of the film at once. The two women at the centre of the film spend most of the time in coma. One is a dancer who has had a street accident. The other is a matador who has been severely gored. The two men in the audience are Benigno and Marco. Benigno has cared for his mother and has now cared for the comatose ballet dancer for five years. Marco is a reporter who has interviewed and then become involved with the matador. While he weeps, he cannot talk to the matador. Benigno gives complete care to the dancer, telling her everything that is going on, bathing her, attentive to her every need. While the men look to the women, they become close friends, especially as the film moves towards an unexpected climax.

Almodovar shows great empathy for the men, for their friendship and the demands that it ultimately makes. The two women emerge as strong characters, especially in flashbacks showing them in their professional work. The four principals are completely believable as is Geraldine Chaplin who appears as the dancing mistress.

The film is also beautifully written even when it tackles some deeply disturbing themes, especially in the relationship between Benigno and the dancer. Almodovar uses a device of Benigno telling the story (with vivid visuals) of a relationship in a silent film he has seen rather than anything directly on screen. While the silent film is symbolically explicit, Almodovar leaves it to our imaginations and emotions as to what actually happens.

The Pina Bausch company appear at the end of the film suggesting more life and hope although Marco says to the dancing mistress that what happened can be told simply. She has the last word saying that her experience tells her that nothing is simple. Multi-layered is the best word to describe Talk With Her.


1. Acclaim for the film? The awards? Academy Award? Its place in the films of Pedro Almodovar?

2. The settings, the Spanish cities, the countryside, hospitals and care, ballet performance and schools, bullfighting, the arena, the crowds?

3. The musical score, the range of music, as background, for the ballet, for listening?

4. The significance of the ballet sequences, the work of Pina Bausch, the cafe sequence and the blind women at the beginning? The modernist dance at the end? Rehearsals at the ballet school?

5. The bullfighting, both men and women in the arena? Lavish costumes, the scene of dressing? Skills, the crowds, anticipation, Lydia, her confidence, her prayer, medals, the performance, Lydia gored, the response of the crowd, her friends, of Marco?

6. Benigno and Marco at the ballet, sitting next to each other, Benigno noticing Marco’s tears? The later meeting and interactions of their lives?

7. Benigno’s story, in himself, his age, living with his mother, care for her, his qualifications and training, her death? Alone, his apartment, the fixation on Alicia? Watching from his window, the school, her practice? Her walking the street and losing her wallet, his chasing her, returning it, her gratitude? Her father the psychiatrist, and Benigno the session, discussions about his orientation, the later interview, the father allowing him to care for his daughter? The accident, her being in coma, four years, Benigno living just for her, daily care, massage, her normal functions, the issue of her period, his talking to her, discussions, following her interests, the music, the silent films and his discussion about the sexual story (and scenes being visualised) – a preparation for what was to follow? His work with Rosa, Matilde, the doctors? His taking the extra nights, writing the reports? The effect on him, Alicia more real in coma than alive?

8. The character of Lydia, strong, clashes with her father, her family, her career, with the celebrated matador, the relationship, the journalists, reactions, her being interviewed on television, the tenacious interviewer, the walking off the set, the interviewer reaching out for her? Marco watching, the commission to write the article? Going to meet her, her resistance, getting the lift, helping with the destruction of the snake, the bond between them, talking, the months? His devotion? His experience of the accident, helping, visits to Lydia at the hospital, not being able to touch her, her former friend coming in, allowing him to sit? Her death?

9. Marco, his job, the travel books, his past life and self-sacrifice, the 10 years, the wedding, Lydia present, his getting over the relationship? His memories with Lydia, the travel, driving, talking? The friend, the truth, that she was back with him? His being at the hospital, the friendship with Benigno, with Alicia? His concern about Benigno?

10. Alicia, the issue of not having her period, the response of Rosa, the other members of the staff? The interviews with Benigno, her pregnancy, his writing the reports? His going to prison?

11. Marco, his travels, discovering what had happened to Benigno, trying to see him in prison, the phone number, phoning him, their discussions, his realising what Benigno had done, his mental and emotional state, his wanting to help?

12. Marco going to the hospital, the news about Alicia, her waking, the fetus stillborn? His seeing Alicia at the rehearsals, going to the theatre, the ballet, her talking to him, the ballet teacher suspicions? His turning in his seat, the possibility of a bond with Alicia? The discussion with the ballet teacher?

13. Benigno, in prison, finding it oppressive, his bequeathing his apartment to Marco? Marco and the visit to the landlady, her comment about Benigno being in prison, the tidiness of the apartment?

14. The phone call about Benigno, his taking the pills, his writing the letter? Marco rushing to the prison, the officials giving him the letter, his grief? The visit to Benigno’s grave?

15. A complex and humane drama – with unexpected connections and twists?