I really enjoyed "Los Abrazos Rotos" but also felt that the story didn't exactly hit the mark, so to speak. That's because although there was an awful lot to like, I had a hard time relating to or caring about the characters. This may not bother some, but most viewers, I suspect, want to have characters they can like--and it was hard to really like the main characters in the film. Still, with this problem, you have to admit that everything else is exceptional--with some wonderful acting and direction--and a story idea that is, thankfully, quite different.

The film is odd in that it bounced about--between 1994 and 2008. The story begins with a blind writer/director and you wonder how he came to this state. Only slowly do you learn how he was blinded--and I liked the way this mystery was revealed in a completely unhurried manner.

Back in the 1990s, Penelope Cruz was in dire financial straits. Her father was dying from stomach cancer and the family needed money to get the best treatment. Her boss, however, is an immensely powerful and wealthy man and he agrees to help her. However, it seems to be at a cost--she becomes his mistress. By 1994, they've been together for two years and he's obsessed with her--begging her to marry him. However, she doesn't love him and has designs on becoming an actress. When her big break comes and she lands a huge part, he finances the picture and has every move she makes recorded by his son--who is, supposedly, filming a documentary about the film. However, the real reason is so the father can has a lip reading specialist view the film and determine what is transpiring between her and the director. It turns out she IS having an affair with the director and the rich guy responds by nearly killing her--he is a dangerously jealous man, it seems. Where all this goes from there, you'll have to see--especially how the director/writer becomes blind.

There is MUCH more to the film than this, but it's best to see the film instead of me trying to describe it. That's because the star of the film is the acting--in particular, that of Lluís Homar. Despite the more famous Penelope Cruz being featured on the movie posters and ads, he seemed to be the key actor in the film and his underplaying really intrigued me. His acting was subtle but quite effective. The other star was the direction by Pedro Almodóvar--it, too, was unhurried and exceptional. If only the characters hadn't all been so selfish and unlikable, the movie could have been great....too bad.

Mateo Blanco is a blind writer writing under the pseudonym Harry Caine. He is assisted by Judit García and her son Diego. He pretends to ignore the death of Ernesto Martel. He's inspired to write about a father ignoring his son. Director Ray X wants him to write about his father. He discovers that Ray is Ernesto's son and from his past. In flashbacks, Ernesto is a powerful businessman. His secretary Lena (Penélope Cruz) becomes his mistress. Mateo is a director who still has his eyesight. He takes her as his leading actress and falls for her despite Ernesto financing the project.

Pedro Almodóvar has done better. The present day story isn't that compelling. The past story has the magnetic Penélope Cruz. This would be better to bookend the past story with short sections of the present day especially the ending. After Cruz, the ending drags on and on. The constant back and forth timeline leaves this feeling disjointed.

In 1992, in Madrid, the secretary and escort girl Lena (Penélope Cruz) becomes the mistress of the powerful entrepreneur Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez) that is her boss and takes care of her terminal father. In the present days, the blind screenwriter Mateo Blanco (Lluís Homar) known by his code name Harry Caine meets a beautiful blonde (Kira Miró) on the street that offers to read the newspaper for him and tells that Ernesto Matel has died. Then his agent Judit García (Blanca Portillo) and her son Diego (Tamar Novas) arrive and Harry promises to end the screenplay that he is writing until the end of the day. Judit leaves the apartment and Harry is visited by a man code named X-Ray (Rubén Ochandiano) that introduces himself as a filmmaker and asks Harry to write the screenplay of his documentary about his intolerant father. Harry recognizes him, refuses the request, sends him away and recalls the year of 1994, when he was casting for his film "Chicas Y Maletas" and met Lena. Sooner they fall in love for each other and Ernesto Martel, who was the producer, sends his homosexual son to prepare the behind scene and making off of the movie. With the support of a reader of lips, the jealous and obsessive Martel daily falls each step of Lena with tragic consequences for the couple of lovers.

"Los Abrazos Partidos" is another magnificent film of the talented Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, who is among my favorite contemporary directors. The plot has a complex, but perfect screenplay with use of flashbacks with a marvelous development of the characters. Lluís Homar performs the lead character Mateo Blanco a.k.a. Harry Caine (a pun with hurricane) that uses two alternate names of Pedro Almodóvar and has a great performance. His erotic scene with the unknown and extremely gorgeous Kira Miró is astonishing. Penélope Cruz is stunning and has another top-notch performance directed by Almodóvar. The open conclusion is ironic after the remark of Mateo Blanco about "Chicas Y Maletas" and I liked it. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Abraços Partidos" ("Broken Hugs")