Julieta Marks Another Introspective Masterwork for Almodovar

On the whole, Pedro Almodovar’s films tend to focus on gay men or strong women.

His latest, Julieta, falls into the latter category, introducing us to a middle-aged woman about to embark on a happy new chapter of her life when a chance encounter sends her on a mission to resolve an issue from her personal history. The film weaves together the stories of the title character’s present and the past, and the pair of actresses who play both older Julieta and younger Julieta (embroiled in a relationship with a fisherman named Xoan, pictured) are captivating as they unfold with Almadovar’s singular flair for colorful minutia. The plot is lent an air of authenticity from its loose ends; though their lack of resolution may sometimes feel unsettling, as in real life, not everything that happens ends up having some greater impact on the main story. THE WORD: Though the film suggests we can never truly escape who we once were, the consolation prize is that no part of us is ever truly lost. WHERE TO WATCH: In Theaters