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All About My Mother

Drama A Greek saying states that only women who have washed their eyes with tears can see clearly. This saying does not hold true for Manuela. The night a car ran over her son Esteban, Manuela cried until her eyes ran completely dry. Far from seeing clearly, the present and the future become mixed up in darkness. That same night, while waiting in the hospital, she reads the last lines written by her son in a notebook that he always kept by ... [+]
Author Review
United StatesUnited States
The New York Times
The New York Times
"In Mr. Almodovar's great big heart where womanhood, artifice, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and 'All About Eve' collide, it weaves life and art into a rich tapestry of love, loss and compassion.  POS
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
Empire
Empire
"With magnificent performances all around, especially from Roth and the agonisingly beautiful Cruz, this is one you just don't want to end (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"  POS
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The Guardian
The Guardian
"Funny, sad and emotionally generous (...) All the performances are excellent and the picture is immaculately designed"  POS
United StatesUnited States
rogerebert.com
rogerebert.com
"'All About My Mother' is one of the best films of the Spanish director, whose films present a Tennessee Williams sensibility in the visual style of a 1950s Universal-International tearjerker (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"  POS
United StatesUnited States
Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
"For me it felt like a good many weeks at a politically correct summer camp."  NEU
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
Time Out
Time Out
"It displays a depth and maturity lacking in Almodóvar's earlier work."  POS
United StatesUnited States
Variety
Variety
"An emotionally satisfying and brilliantly played take on the ups and (mostly) downs of a group of less-than-typical female friends."  POS
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The Guardian
The Guardian
"[I was] left with the uncomfortable feeling that this was two films melded into one."  NEU
United StatesUnited States
AV Club
AV Club
"'All About My Mother' spills over with so much good humor and humanity that its ecstatic reception comes as no surprise. What is surprising is that an Almodóvar film has never been this close to boring."  NEU
United StatesUnited States
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
"What could be the stuff of soap opera is transformed by Almodóvar and a quintet of transcendent actresses into a unique and unforgettable tribute to female solidarity."  POS
United StatesUnited States
Slant
Slant
"'All About My Mother' is an affecting ode to the female spirit, the maternal instinct and the craving for melodrama — a soulful mix of comedy and tragedy so life-affirming it leaves you hankering for your mother’s embrace."  POS
United StatesUnited States
ReelViews
ReelViews
"For Almodovar, this picture represents the latest high point in a lively career. It is one of the best motion pictures that 1999 has to offer (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"  POS
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