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All About My Mother

All About My Mother

1999
Drama
1h 41m
A single mother in Madrid sees her only son die on his 17th birthday as he runs to seek an actress's autograph. She goes to Barcelona to find the lad's father, a transvestite named Lola who does not know he has a child. First she finds her friend, Agrado, also a transvestite; through him she meets Rosa, a young nun bound for El Salvador, and by happenstance, becomes the personal assistant of Huma Rojo, the actress her son admired... (imdb)
Your probable score
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All About My Mother

1999
Drama
1h 41m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 67.49% from 3148 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(3148)
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Rated 12 Aug 2010
100
99th
I genuinely felt that I could have watched these characters live out their lives for the rest of their days and not been bored by a single second. Pulls off the mix between the tragic and the comic better than anything I've ever seen, while having a host of brilliant performances and photography that winks at you without being flashy. Almodovar I love you I guess
Rated 23 Jun 2010
3
80th
I absolutely didn't expect the film to go anywhere that it did. For a brief period I was put off by its soapiness, but over time I came to love that, since it's both sincere and tongue-in-cheek at once. Almodovar balances humour and sadness wonderfully. Also, it's really cool that he can include transvestites and overt sexual references without it ever sounding juvenile or shocking for the sake of being shocking.
Rated 19 Jan 2007
90
85th
All About My Mother is a sleazy, melodramatic soap opera of a story that's been injected with massive amounts of depth and style. It's serious and you're supposed to take it seriously, but it's not too serious and sometimes you're supposed to laugh at it as well. There were moments where I thought the soap opera elements were getting too prominent for comfort, but they never lasted long. This is a sad, complex and stylish movie.
Rated 25 Apr 2007
98
99th
An absolute gem. Almodovar achieves a profound bittersweetness, depth and honesty similar to Kieslowski. Among the themes are motherhood, surrogate families, the roles women play in each other's lives and gender identity. Intensely warm and moving, sorrowful but with marvelous splashes of humor. The actresses are uniformly excellent, and none more so than Cecilia Roth in the lead. Also, the photography is gorgeous and it's got an exquisite score, reminiscent of Baladamenti's work.
Rated 21 Apr 2008
98
98th
Sometimes a little too wacky for its own good, but here Almodovar picks up the most unexamined elements of All About Eve and Opening Night, turning them into a film about the essential qualities of relationships, and transcendence of personal tragedy. Truly touching.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
50
7th
Usually I'm pretty ambivalent about Almodovar, I'm not a fan but I can enjoy his movies. There was something about this one that I found particularly grating and stupid, though. No one felt sympathetic and everything seemed edgy just for the sake of it.
Rated 31 Mar 2007
90
86th
Almodovar usually sucks but this is really good. A chick picture in which some of the chicks are retrofitted guys
Rated 21 Jul 2007
85
87th
An odd and compelling film.
Rated 11 May 2009
95
97th
Usually I have mixed feelings about Almodóvar, but this one is a true masterpiece.
Rated 12 Jun 2009
77
88th
Good Movie
Rated 26 Jul 2010
76
61st
Good, but the CBS sitcom is just a little bit better.
Rated 21 Sep 2010
6
44th
Almodovar's colourful comic/tragic celebration of mothers and female relationships.
Rated 22 May 2011
82
88th
Yes, this is a huge melodrama, and yes, this is a huge film: tragedy comes from everywhere, but Almodóvar goes from genre to genre -- from comedy to drama -- so easily that you just't cant't see it coming, you just feel intensely tied with these women.
Rated 07 Oct 2011
4
70th
A complex and touching tale of women's desires, friendships, and the sacrifices they make for their children. In addition, it's simply fantastic entertainment, with its combination of warm humor and melodrama, vivid use of color, wonderful acting and its deliberate homage to other films (All About Eve and Streetcar, of course, but also Opening Night et al), that its themes need not define it. That they're as complex and well-handled as they are simply makes it that much greater a film.
Rated 13 Feb 2012
88
79th
Skillfully crafted and produced melodrama, audaciously using elements of STREETCAR and ALL ABOUT EVE in telling its offbeat story. Performances are all wonderful, wth Paredes and Roth especially standing out. Occasional moments of albeit cheerful vulgarity undermine the drama (the blow-job request scene) and as a result it is sometimes difficult to know how seriously we are meant to take the film, but overall a very fine achievement for Almodovar.
Rated 11 Jul 2013
90
96th
A ridiculously ludicrous melodrama on the surface, but an impossibly irresistible and deeply felt tribute to womanhood and femininity crafted with such passion by a male filmmaker at the height of his creative powers.
Rated 31 Mar 2017
85
91st
Heartfelt and uplifting story about people connecting and healing through emotional tactfulness, openness and empathy. Fantastic writing, directing, music and especially acting that balance comedy & drama in a bittersweet way. Feels both light and heavy at the same time. Very sentimental but never inappropriate or awkward with its sentiments. Possibly a bit fluffy or soapy with its adoration of "femininity" that leads it to slight exaggeration but I really don't care, it was such a joy.
Rated 10 Aug 2019
86
84th
Very well written, funny and unique.
Rated 05 Dec 2019
82
91st
The first Almodovar film I've seen, but definitely not the last. This movie deals with some very serious subject matter. But it's handled so deftly. It's never preachy, nor is it dismissive. Instead, it paints an honest portrait of several women that are wonderfully textured characters. I even waited a few days to rate this because I haven't been able to stop thinking about it yet.
Rated 23 Mar 2020
70
53rd
Manuela: "How could anyone act so macho with a pair of tits like that?"
Rated 03 Apr 2020
85
80th
Really amazing script and the whole stuff was dedicated to Gena Rowlands. How not to love it ?
Rated 23 Apr 2020
88
81st
Another great film from Almodovar, fully and touching without being sentimental.
Rated 10 Apr 2021
8
78th
Melodramatic but never goes off the rails because it's handled with the utmost care, respect and empathy. Almodóvar's characters are portrayed with vulnerability and immense sensitivity, each of them dealing with their own grief and personal struggle; A beautiful mess of emotions that makes every scene feel organic and alive. Definitely one I'll remember and revisit soon.
Rated 29 Apr 2022
95
96th
Watched in 35mm in a double feature with Almodóvar's Bad Education at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This is a visually arresting piece of work that really pushes the medium of film with Almodóvar utilizing such an expansive variety of techniques and styles that all somehow coalesce. The script is similarly diverse, and the number of seemingly disparate plot elements Almodóvar is able to weave together in this script is incredibly impressive.
Rated 11 Dec 2022
94
96th
Watch this if you ever feel that every plot has already been done.
Rated 01 Dec 2006
92
79th
Very touching drama by Almodovar. Really great film.
Rated 09 Feb 2007
85
90th
null
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
95th
After a period of years in which I avoided Almodovar's films, I came to this one: it was far and away the best of his movies which I had seen until that point. (And note that I subsequently viewed TALK TO HER, his next film, which I think is probably even better).
Rated 06 Nov 2007
89
66th
i cried like a baby...so touching...
Rated 14 Feb 2008
65
57th
Good.
Rated 02 Mar 2008
69
50th
# 625
Rated 08 Mar 2008
40
25th
Interesting & somewhat unpredictable with occasional stunning cinematography. Sometimes i wondered if it wasn't a little weird just to be weird & i always have trouble with conventional AIDS representations, although to be fair, there was some doubt cast on conventional wisdom at the end.
Rated 28 Apr 2008
8
82nd
A strange, beautiful film
Rated 17 May 2008
80
64th
18 Mayis 08 & Basarili renk kullanimi ve bol katmanli hikaye & karakter calismalari...Biraz yonetmenin kendisini anlatan, basarili bir calisma.Yonetmenin izledigim ilk filmi.Film, yerinde gondermelerle dolu.Bu da seyiri daha zevkli kiliyor.Almadovar aslinda kadinlarin dunyasinin karmasikligi ve dengesizligi uzerine yapmis bu filmi.Bir rahip dusebilir, bir fahise yukselebilir...
Rated 29 May 2008
100
99th
Definitely one of my favorite movie. Difficult to watch now because she loses her son.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
68
36th
635
Rated 10 Jan 2009
91
85th
great character drawing, my second Almodovar after "Volver". Beautiful and affecting Movie.
Rated 21 Feb 2009
76
71st
Almodovar again delivering an emotional extravaganza. With solid acting from everyone involved. (How is it possible that Cruz's acting always seems to be more modest and discreet in European movies?)... But although Almodovar always makes good films, and has never directed any bad ones, I still feel he never made his masterpiece.
Rated 04 Mar 2009
78
88th
Almodovars great red style is incredible and Antonia San Juan performance is awsome.
Rated 22 May 2009
15
23rd
Like a really really really bad unpredictable mexican soap opera. In Spanish. (capital s). When that dude was the same dude except he wasn't a dude no more i was like THE FUCK
Rated 10 Jun 2009
77
92nd
Another great Almodóvar film with packed plot.
Rated 22 Aug 2009
79
79th
A good Almodovar intrigue
Rated 11 Nov 2009
20
44th
Almodóvar's paean to womanhood, in particular motherhood and actresshood, is dedicated to three of the kind: Bette Davis, specifically for All about Eve; Gena Rowlands, for Opening Night; and Romy Schneider, for The Important Thing Is to Love. The first half-hour has a strong and a steady pull. Thereafter the complications and coincidences mount up to staggering proportions.
Rated 06 Jan 2010
85
79th
if you have no idea about european films, you can start with almodovar
Rated 15 Jan 2010
66
32nd
678
Rated 01 Feb 2010
63
26th
Ok but nothing special. I don't share the view that it's an amazing film, though it is very watchable.
Rated 12 May 2010
71
52nd
Uma sucessão de momentos que parecem ter sido criador pelo roteirista (almodovar? sim) enquanto escrevia o filme; e dá muito certo. Bem emocionante, ainda que bem gay.
Rated 09 Aug 2010
6
65th
fui com a Raquel e a Bia no cinema ver esse!!!!!
Rated 29 Oct 2010
75
44th
All About My Mother is beautifully composed and well crafted, but at the end of the day, I just couldn't get into the heavy melodrama, which left me emotionally distant from the film's endlessly weepy narrative.
Rated 06 Feb 2011
85
82nd
Like a hall of mirrors where everything distorts and reflects everything else. Not a massive Almodovar fan but this is excellent.
Rated 22 May 2011
92
96th
91.500
Rated 14 Oct 2011
40
97th
"Pedro Almodóvar's best film to date, a heart-breaking paean to femininity, the maternal instinct and the thirst for drama." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 27 Nov 2011
2
29th
Few things bug me more than this sort of utilitarian plot in which characters literally drop dead as soon as they're not needed anymore.
Rated 01 Dec 2011
66
32nd
#681
Rated 12 Dec 2011
90
96th
One of my favorite films of all time.
Rated 08 Feb 2012
82
58th
An exploration of feminine relationships set against the backdrop of All About Eve.
Rated 08 Mar 2012
75
72nd
Relatively uneventful compared to other Almodóvar films, which prevents me from being too engrossed in the plot. And still, it's one of his most emotionally powerful efforts, even if the payoff doesn't come until the very end. Strong acting, visual flair and typically strong writing add up to an ultimately winning effort from the Spanish master.
Rated 14 May 2012
40
8th
anne-ogul, travesti, travesti baba, rahibe, travestiyle birlikte olan rahibe, hamile rahibe, tiyatro, trafik kazasi, organ bagisi, sanatcidan imza almak (ilk 15 dakikasi fena degil, gerisi cöp)
Rated 18 Sep 2012
70
53rd
Almodovar'a yine isinamadim. Derli toplu degil filmleri. Sanki 5 saatlik film cekmis de montajda kirpmis; ama bu kolaj da butunde tatmin etmiyor. Karakterlerin de hep bir yani eksik, icini tam dolduramiyor. Renkli goruntuler, sira disi hikayeler izliyorum ama sinemasal değer tasiyan bir eser izlemisim hissi uyanmıyor; ciddiye alamiyorum. Hikaye sonlara dogru sacmaliyor; duygusal sahneler de hic olmamis. Ayrica bunu izlemeden Opening Night ve A Streetcar Named Desire izlemek farz.
Rated 23 Jan 2013
100
86th
My favorite movie of all time.
Rated 05 Oct 2013
88
95th
88.000
Rated 15 Dec 2013
86
94th
It made me to cry four times, laugh one time. I don't agree with some ideas in it, but it doesn't reduce its moving. They acted wonderful and the story is interesting.
Rated 05 Jan 2014
100
94th
a very powerful and emotional story wonderfully executed by the acting and great direction by pedro almodovar
Rated 20 Jan 2014
85
94th
Very well done. It's nice to see a film handle delicate subjects such as AIDS and transvestism without being either offensively simple or excessively melodramatic. Agrado's monologue is the highlight.
Rated 16 Mar 2014
80
37th
A lot of the humor didn't work for me, which let down an otherwise fun and vibrant melodrama.
Rated 21 Apr 2014
6
83rd
wonderful characterisation. perhaps it might be just a wee bit exaggerated at times, but it's bursting with personality and charm.
Rated 09 Nov 2014
89
95th
A film I have seen several times. A huge tribute to maternity and womanhood. Fine script, brilliant acting and a masterpiece by Pedro Almodovar.
Rated 10 Nov 2014
80
82nd
I saw this movie when it came out in theaters. I was young and couldn't understand this movie. Now I'm older and still don't understand quite, but I now see this movie is about women as daughters, mothers, lovers, just individuals. It's different to see all men characters are just parts in this story.
Rated 12 Dec 2014
78
62nd
Camp melodrama mixes almost perfectly with some more heavy themes - but I was more into the film due to the through-line of performance. Great, lush use of color too. Takes a while to get going but the resolution of the plot feels natural, if only it continued!
Rated 01 Feb 2015
82
82nd
As much as my preference for Almodovar's earlier campier work remains, i can't really argue that this is anything less than one of his most all-around artistically accomplished films at the very least (and it's even still sort of funny at times), probably even his quintessential "mature"-period work. Intertextuality up to here (with his own films, and with the '50s melodramas he loves), great production design, and despite the PoMo trappings as always with Almodovar, a ton of heart.
Rated 29 Apr 2015
85
60th
Mixes a little bit of melodrama with very serious subject matter, resulting in a movie where sometimes you don't quite know how to react. It's got a great cast and a unique spin on a story that's been told before.
Rated 01 Jul 2015
92
97th
Second viewing was fascinating. I updated my ranking from 49 to 92.
Rated 23 Jun 2016
73
78th
The extreme acclaim for this director is lost on me, but there is no denying his talent, especially for directing actors. All About Mother was his crossover moment, and it's easy to see why: it's a superbly acted melodrama with well rounded characters who are struggling with personal problems. Almodovar loves people, and he demonstrates a genuine compassion for his characters and their eccentricities while presenting a warm view of female solidarity that is neither cliched or cutesy.
Rated 22 Aug 2017
80
86th
22.8.17(+)berlin
Rated 14 Sep 2017
80
75th
BaÅŸka Sinema - Rexx.
Rated 04 Dec 2017
76
46th
Not bad but was expecting something better.
Rated 15 Nov 2018
82
63rd
İşlediği konunun ilginçligi kesinlikle insanı tatmin ediyor. Dünya sinemasındaki bakış açılarını görmek açısından kesinlikle izlenmeli. Kadınları anlamak isteyenler kesinlikle izlemeli. Çünkü kadınlara adanmış bir film. 8.2/10
Rated 19 Mar 2019
72
43rd
Other Almodóvar films have intrigued me initially and then followed it up with startling revelations (Talk to Her, The Skin I Live In). I initially thought this would do the same, but it ended up not quite having that oomph or punch coming through. Although somewhat light on cohesion, it's a personal tale for the auteur, and that is rivetingly felt throughout this sometimes extraordinary work.
Rated 07 Sep 2020
40
10th
As a trans person this film's presentation of trans people made me so uncomfortable that it was hard for me to engage with any of the things that the film did right. Even beyond that the film has a habit of killing off characters the moment they stop being useful, and is so melodramatic that it's hard to buy into the more personal aspects.
Rated 12 Jan 2021
75
33rd
Medically the film was a disaster. Stupidity in HIV and birth scenes bothered me, but as a passionate and shameless Spanish drama fan, I ignored these mistakes and just enjoyed this Almodovar movie about woman solidarity.
Rated 02 Apr 2023
67
23rd
I'll remember this film for its bold, beautiful colours and for a plot and cast of characters so ridiculous and contrived that despite being packed with drama, each dramatic moment left me unmoved. I didn't detect much comedy either - perhaps something lost in translation.
Rated 21 Jun 2023
94
79th
What a lovely film! I’m starting to gather that Pedro Almodóvar films are a real vibe. Loved the classical score, the beautiful colors and literally all of the main characters, all of whom were exceptionally acted and likable. It’s a very compelling drama, with some solid moments of levity of course, but it’s also very respectful and sympathetic towards mothers and probably women in general. I didn’t feel like any of it was in poor taste either, which was super refreshing. Very, very well made.
Rated 15 Oct 2023
87
93rd
a beautifully written script, filled with fascinating characters, well directed into a captivating, memorable film. i feel some emotional moments could have been given more room to breathe, though i appreciate that, for the most part, its unlingering pace befits it.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
70
63rd
Impeccable filmmaking, a great script and excellent performances all round. I still see Almodovar as one of the most accomplished practitioners of a fairly generic model of cinema that makes me think of arthouse cinema franchises, and foreign-film oscar winners. That's not necessarily a problem, but it puts a ceiling on how much a can adore them.

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