"That's a nice-a donut."
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Bad Education
Acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar's film Bad Education (or: La Mala Educacion) is a stunning portrait of childhood innocence lost and the impact on two boys. A man shows up at a hot young film director's house one day; he is the director's old chum and lover from Catholic school years before. He is a young actor looking for work, but also has a movie script that he wrote. Later, the director reads the script and we are transported right into the movie - it's a good story and the two old friends get back together and discuss adapting the script. Meanwhile, Almodovar also takes us back to the school years before and shows us the "bad education" that the pupils received at the hands of their literature teacher, and school principal, Father Manolo. Eventually, the three come colliding together into a web of deceit and revenge.
Gael Garcia Bernal is fantastic in the multifaceted lead as the young actor looking for work and several other roles, not to mention as a guy in drag. He has evolved from an attractive young Spanish actor into one of the finest actors in the world today. I wouldn't be surprised if he crosses over into English-language films soon, though I hope that he continues to have a strong eye for fine parts such as this. Fele Martinez is equally convincing as Enrique, the director.
Almodovar has crafted a beautiful film. From the coming-of-age school scenes to the moody atmosphere of the drag queen and club scenes to the lush colors of the Spanish setting, it is adeptly shot. No scenes are wasted, as everything is there for a reason and to move the story along. There are so many layers, that it felt as if there were several different feature-length movies that could have been made from Bad Education - and each would have been great. One small complaint is that the finale is a bit forced; it seems as if Almodovar was a little unsure about how to wrap it up.
The dialogue is real, succinct, and oftentimes humorous. I especially liked the following exchange (paraphrased) between the two young boys, which takes place after the bad education of abuse had begun:
"I don't believe in God."
"What do you believe in then?"
"I'm a Hedonist."
"What's that?"
"I like having fun."
Lastly, on a side note, I must mention the absurdity of the film's NC-17 rating by the MPAA. Yes, there is a small amount of male nudity and some sexual content. But, it is clear that the rating - perhaps the movie equivalent of the death penalty - is due primarily to homophobia. I certainly don't recommend this for young children, but the movie deserves to be seen by more people and should have received an R.
The Verdict: A-.
Michael Bentley 10:26 AM
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