18/03/2009

The countdown is finally over. Today, Pedro Almodóvar’s 17th film, Broken Embraces [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pedro Almodóvar
film profile], hits theatres across Spain, launched by Warner Bros on 250 screens.

The release also brings to an end several weeks of intense promotion, during which Almodóvar and the film’s outstanding cast – composed of Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez and Rubén Ochandiano – spoke in detail about the thriller, which is described by its director as “a love letter to cinema”. In fact, as in Law of Desire (1987), the protagonist is a director, whose film Chicas y maletas (“Girls and Suitcases”) is an obvious homage to Almodóvar’s early productions.

The La Mancha-born filmmaker hopes to repeat the success of Volver [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agustín Almodóvar
interview: Carmen Maura
interview: Pedro Almodóvar
interview: Pénélope Cruz
film profile], which amassed €1.78m from its opening weekend three years ago. Each of Almodóvar’s films strives for its own recognition and for Spanish cinema as a whole, which has high hopes for Broken Embraces this year.

Aware of the expectations placed upon him, Almodóvar commented to El País: “Let’s hope the film boosts the box office share for Spanish film. I’m aware of my responsibility. But viewers’ reactions are unpredictable”.

The Spanish release is merely the prelude to the film’s launch in numerous countries across Europe. This is unsurprising given that Almodóvar is one of the foremost European directors.

Broken Embraces will thus be launched in Switzerland (Pathé - May 21), Germany (Tobis - August 6), the Netherlands (Cinéart - August 27), the UK (Pathé - August 28), Romania (Prorom - September 25) and the US (Sony Classics - date to be confirmed).

Curiously, Pathé Distribution, who will distribute the film in France – one of the countries where the director enjoys the greatest popularity – have not specified a date, but announced vaguely that it will be released in May 2009. This has fuelled rumours that the film will be presented at the forthcoming Cannes Film Festival.

(Translated from Spanish)