Bad Education (La Mala educación)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar.
Acted by Gael García Bernal, Fele Martinez, Daniel Giménez Cacho.
Tracing a course up along the sequin embodied bodice, past breasts, defined, the camera comes to rest on the face of an angel, in drag. Slowly she turns her gaze into ours. This is the stunning opening sequence of Bernal in a dress. It is an impersonation that suits him well possibly even enhancing his male persona. This is the best I have seen of Gael García Bernal.
Cool European intelligentsia. Manic dragsters, aging manic dragsters watched through strips of comic book poster pop. Brilliantly contrived sexual theatrics are delivered. The cinematography is hugely entertaining. Bravo Almodóvar!
But what of the story? Does all this sound and fury signify anything?
"The Visit" queries Enrique, as Ignacio, now Angel, an out of work actor, insists that he read his movie script, a story of their shared youth in a Catholic boarding school.
Is this, I wonder, the return of the wrongly-done, to visit, in fine detail, revenge upon the wrong-doers?
Enrique is a successful Spanish movie director. We learn from the script that as a boy he had precociously declared, in response to his young lover’s fear of the wrath of God, that he did not believe in God. He was a hedonist. He was also removed from that school leaving his beloved at the mercy of Father Manolo. This sinner of the worst kind was unashamedly besotted by the sweet child, Ignacio. He was able, even supported it seems, to do absolutely anything that his lust dictated.
It all gets a little difficult to follow at times as narratives interweave and characters appear and reappear in different guise. But it somehow doesn’t really matter all that much.
Meanwhile the mother smiles painfully from her heart-wrenched body, sends food to her sons in the city and pleads that they are good boys and not to be judged.
Lou Crow
