Talk to Her (Hable con Ella) Columbia Tri-Star, 2003   Reviewed by K.A. Shaver	Pedro Almodovar's Talk To Her is a wonderful blend of calm passion and vibrant emotion, telling the tale of two men brought together by loneliness and a longing for the love of their fallen women of choice. This Spanish gem, guided along by English subtitles and a smooth and comforting, yet gently haunting, soundtrack, gives a well-developed forum for the emotions men have and the many ways they can be expressed. From the preliminary moments of the opening modern dance scene, writer and director Almodovar (All About My Mother, Live Flesh, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) finds a way to enrapture his audience and keep its attention with human texture and brilliant storytelling surrounding the powerful, though not overpowering, characters. Javier Camara is gentle yet troubled male nurse Benigno, caring for comatose patient Alicia (Leonor Watling), an enchanting ballerina who had unknowingly captured his love prior to the accident that caused her condition. Benigno befriends Marco, a journalist who came to fall in love with female matador Lydia (Rosario Flores, in a stunning performance) only to witness her fall victim to a goring during a bullfight and be admitted to the same hospital. Benigno teaches Marco, played with a strong vulnerability by Dario Grandinetti, that their words will still find their way if they talk to the women who cannot hear. With mutual feelings of loss, despair and fading hope, the men experience and identify their unique bond and how to confront their deep emotions. Their stories, told through flashbacks, emphasize their corners of the tale, while the loneliness of both Alicia and Lydia are presented with a meaningful subtlety as the drama unfolds around their unconscious bodies. That drama intensifies as emotions are heightened, giving the film a dark, controversial twist that nevertheless manages to be engaging as well as paving the way for a conclusion that will remain with the viewer beyond the closing credits. Sometimes melodramatic, the film often exudes a touching tenderness. Brazilian vocalist Caetano Veloso enhances that depth with a stirring performance of Alberto Iglesias' beautiful "Cucurrucucu Paloma." There is also a definite challenge by Almodovar to try new things, as proven with the inclusion of the script of a mock silent film, entitled Shrinking Love, which provides entertainment, humor and even a drop of titillation. To envelop this story, Almodovar creates images of beauty, solitude and intensity that are splashed across the cinematic canvas without daring to interrupt the illusions of the tale being told. With every scene, the Oscar-winning director manages to bring the tale deeper into the soul, still with the ability to bring forth laughs and present unanticipated surprises, while developing his characters and exhibiting them as human beings exploring every facet of the heart. | May 2003   K.A. Shaver is a freelance writer currently focussing on authoring a book of his own poetry and lyrics. He has been writing for close to 25 years, concentrating on producing novels, short stories, lyrics and poetry.	To envelop this story, Almodovar creates images of beauty, solitude and intensity that are splashed across the cinematic canvas without daring to interrupt the illusions of the tale being told.