Almodóvar Calls 24th Film 'Bitter Christmas' His Riskiest, With 80% of Dialogue Drawn From Himself
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21
Almodóvar Calls 24th Film 'Bitter Christmas' His Riskiest, With 80% of Dialogue Drawn From Himself
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21
Summary
Pedro Almodóvar said “Bitter Christmas,” his 24th feature, is the riskiest film he has made because its nested film-within-a-film structure demands “complete attention” from audiences.
The 76-year-old director described the movie as both about autofiction and an example of it: Raúl, a filmmaker who exploits people close to him, is an alter ego whose dialogue is “at least 80%” what Almodóvar himself could say.
Bárbara Lennie plays Elsa, a director hit by panic attacks and migraines, in a story adapted from a 2003 short that Almodóvar later folded into his 2023 collection “The Last Dream.”
Almodóvar also renewed his attack on streaming, saying Netflix and its peers are “very close to winning” as theatrical release culture — from posters to premiere-pageantry — steadily disappears.
Despite hearing problems and other health complaints, Almodóvar said he has no intention of slowing down, with his first novel due in Spain in October and more films still driving his life.