In his 20th film, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar drops the farcical approach of his last, I'm So Excited!, and the chilling tone of the film before that, The Skin I Live In, returning to what he does so well - creating rich and moving female-centric dramas.
In Julieta, Almodovar adapts three short stories by Canadian writer Alice Munro, telling the story of a mother's estranged relationship with her daughter. The flamboyant filmmaker and restrained novelist seem an unlikely pair but they share a love of complex women, and the subject matter is perfect Almodovar material.
The film begins with a mature Julieta writing a confessional letter to her daughter, sharing the story of how she met her father and the tragic events that led to their family falling apart. The letter is a way of Julieta understanding and accepting her own past - to this point she's been too close to see events clearly, but as she reflects on her life, she and the audience slowly see the truth for what it is.
Julieta's letter narrates the story, which moves back and forth in time in twists and turns through Julieta's life. Adriana Ugarte plays Julieta in her younger days, before Almodovar cleverly slips Emma Suarez into the role after a family drama changes and ages her.
