All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 2, 2020

Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" (1999) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include a recent filmed Q&A session with the director, producer Agustin Almodovar, and actor Marisa Paredes; archival interviews with cast and crew members; and more. The release also arrives with a 34-page illustrated booklet featuring writing on the film and technical credits. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Life is a giant puzzle whose many pieces can be arranged in a variety of different ways. Therefore, a case can easily be made that the luckiest among us are the ones that get to arrange the biggest number of these pieces. The more we are in control of our lives, the easier it is for us to shape them in ways that ultimately make us feel happy and blessed to live them as we wish.

Pedro Almodovar’s film All About My Mother offers the exact same summation of life while telling a multi-layered story about various characters that have struggled and failed to control the progression of their lives. At the center of it is a horrific tragedy that resets key pieces in these lives and then gradually gives the characters the confidence to begin shaping them again.

During a rainy night in Madrid, middle-aged nurse Manuela (Cecilia Roth) sees her teenage son struck by a speeding car. After the boy dies in the hospital Manuela accidentally discovers that his biggest wish was to find his missing father and heads back to Barcelona, where nearly two decades ago she made ends meet as a prostitute. In Barcelona, the grieving mother reconnects with an old friend, a transvestite prostitute (Antonia San Juan), who worked with her estranged husband, and then befriends a pregnant nun (Penelope Cruz) preparing to move to El Salvador to begin a new life. Manuela also crosses paths with a famous actress (Marisa Paredes) her son admired and her drug-addicted partner (Candela Pena), and after making a good impression on the former accepts an offer to become her personal assistant. While trying to find what has happened to the father of her son, Manuela forms strong bonds with each person and then slowly begins to realize that, for different reasons, they hurt as much as she does.

All About My Mother tells such a dark and yet so uplifting story that it is impossible to imagine anyone else but Almodovar directing it. The contrasts that define it are that extreme and at times actually so incompatible that only Almodovar could have found a way to align them in ways that do not instantly transform the film into a ludicrous parody. The secret behind the magic trick that makes the film work is the Spaniard’s sense of humor, which is the foundation of his philosophy of life. Indeed, the film functions as a masterclass in which Almodovar takes on seemingly irreversible tragic lives and while reintroducing humor in them effectively demonstrates that they can be reshaped so that they are worth living again.

Occasionally the humor acquires a soapy quality that feels a bit off, but what helps it function as intended is the absence of character judgement. Why is this important? Because the film never questions that human beings are flawed creatures, and that this is in fact the reason why their lives are full of preventable and unpreventable errors that have the ability to collapse them. If this is clear, as it is to Almodovar, then humor really does become the only remedy for the most severely damaged ones.

Even during seemingly casual situations the film overflows with exceptionally lush colors, which is entirely predictable given the tremendous significance Almodovar places on color management while working to create a desired atmosphere. (The color red, in particular, is incredibly important in his work). The only area that could have been managed better is the episodic structure for the story. The finale, and especially the footage from the funeral, feels a bit rushed and does not link with the rest of the material as it should.

All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, All About My Mother arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative at Deluxe in Madrid, where the film was also restored, under the supervision of director Pedro Almodovar and executive producer Agustin Almodovar. The original 5.1 track was remastered from a 35mm magnetic track.

Transfer supervisors: Pedro Almodovar, Agustin Almodovar.
Colorist: Chema Alba.
Film scanning: Manuel Maurino/Deluxe, Madrid.
Digital restoration: Fernando Gonzales, Paula Garcia Cantalejo, Arrate Extebarria.
Sound mastering: La Bocina, Madrid."

I did a quick comparison with my DVD release of the film from the Viva Pedro: The Almodóvar Collection box set and the gap in quality is so dramatic that it is basically pointless to address specific areas with notable improvements. Everything looks better on the new 2K master -- depth, clarity, delineation, and of course fluidity are exceptional. The color grading job is also superior, and in a number of darker areas the proper nuances that are visible now actually strengthen the exposure of smaller details which break down in standard definition. So, if you have a larger screen or project, you will experience a brand new range of very colorful visuals. Image stability is outstanding. There are no debris, scratches, specks, stains, or other similar age-related imperfections. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The upgrade in the audio department is excellent as well. The music in particular sounds a lot richer and fuller, and in quite a few areas separation is more effective as well. Balance is excellent. There are no audio dropouts, pops, cracks, or digital distortions to report in our review.

All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Once Upon a Time: "All About My Mother" - this archival documentary focuses on the production history and success of All About My Mother. Included in it are clips from interviews with Pedro Almodovar; actors Cecilia Roth, Penelope Cruz, and Marisa Paredes; production manager Esther Garcia; and author Didier Eribon; amongst others. The documentary was produced in 2012. In English and Spanish, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (53, 1080i).

• Informe Semanal: "All About Almodovar" - in this archival Spanish TV program, Pedro Almodovar returns home to the small town of Calzada de Calatrava with his mother, Francisca Caballero, to discuss her influence on his life and work. The program also includes clips from interviews with various actors that have worked with the Spanish director. The program was created in 1999. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (14 min, 10890p).

• Version Espanola: "All About My Mother" - presented here is a Q&A session with Pedro Almodovar, producer Agustin Almodovar, and actor Marisa Paredes, which was filmed after a screening of All About My Mother at the Filmoteca espanola's Cine Dore in Madrid in 2019. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (49 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 34-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic Emma Wilson, along with an interview with Pedro Almodóvar and a tribute he wrote to his mother, both from 1999.

All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is one thing that never changes in Pedro Almodovar's films, which is their dependence on humor. Regardless of how tragic, dark, chaotic or absurd they get, they always have a sense of humor that ultimately makes them logical. Sometimes they are hard to view as such, but I think that it is only because some of us have not experienced the situations their characters have. I like All About My Mother because I can extract from it a summation of life that makes perfect sense to me. Is it the only way to enjoy the film? Of course not, but it is to me because I find its attitude towards life crystal clear and fair. Criterion's new release is sourced from a first-class 2K master that was supervised and approved by Almodovar. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.