Broken Embraces

Broken Embraces is a film noir style mystery that jumps back and forth though time exploring the relationship of a film director and his star. Unfortunately she is also the mistress of a wealthy businessman. Lena (Penelope Cruz) left her life of prostitution and became a legitimate secretary for Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez). But when her father becomes ill, she returns to her life as a call girl to pay for her father’s expensive medical care. She is shocked to discover that her first client is her boss and tries to back out. He however was aware of her former life and had an arrangement that if Lena ever returned to prostitution, that he’d be notified immediately. For years, he has been obsessed with his secretary.

Lena plays house with her employer and he in return gets her father the best medical attention, but the strain of the relationship is wearing on her. When she mentions that she always wanted to return to acting, he decides to finance a film in order to please her. But instead of being grateful, she falls in love with the film’s director. Martel is so jealous and distrustful that he has his son follow her around with a camera in the guise of shooting a making of documentary. They are on to him though and find ways to escape his prying eyes, or so they think.

Lluis Homar plays the film director. When we meet him he is living under the pseudonym Harry Caine. The film reveals to us how he became Harry Caine and who the other people are in his life. This film can be confusing, especially if you have to read subtitles, but I found several of the themes quite fascinating. This is not an easy film to enjoy; you must pay attention and work at it. But I feel it is worth it overall. Penelope Cruz is enchanting.

Rating: First Run Penelope Cruz demonstrates the hold she has over men