All About My Mother (Todo Sobre Mi Madre)

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(out of 5)

Pedro Almodovar offers us his best work yet with this touching and emotionally lyrical film about a nurse (Cecilia Roth in a world class performance) who leaves Madrid for Barcelona following a personal tragedy, looking to find the man with whom she has a story with loose ends. Instead of finding him, however, she befriends a down-on-her-luck transsexual (Antonia San Juan), an HIV-positive nun (Penelope Cruz) and a tragically unhappy actress (Marisa Paredes) with a drug-addicted girlfriend (Candela Peña). Almodovar once again gives dignity and grace to characters who would be seen as nothing more than sideshow freaks for someone else, creating real emotional life that overcomes the sometimes unimaginative plot. It has humour, charm and oh so much sexy elegance.