Pain and glory

11 yrs 113 minutes • 2019 • 7.5

Cult director Salvador (Antonio Banderas, who won the award at Cannes for his efforts) has achieved great success in life and now one of his restored films will receive a new premiere. At the same time, he is pained by various diseases, and even more by a sense of emptiness – what does professional success mean, and why should one submit to pretentious interviews and weary flattery? In pursuit of finding the meaning of life, Salvador dreams back to childhood, poor in money but rich in love from his strong mother (Penélope Cruz). He remembers theyears of boyhood and the first clues about attraction to his own sex. The contemporary Salvador cares about his aged, and tongue-sharped mother (Julieta Serrano) and meets an old love. The film was nominated for two Oscars and Golden Globes for Best Foreign Film and Best Performance by an actor in a leading role.