Talk to her

Production and year: Spain, 2002 Genre: melodrama, drama Screenplay and direction: Pedro Almodóvar Music: Alberto Iglesias Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe Medical topics: palliative care, rehabilitation, coma, vegetative state Description: The film (which opens with a performance of the play *Café Müller* by German choreographer Pina Bausch) tells the story of two young women, Alicia and Lidia, who, under different circumstances, end up in a coma in the same hospital. A man watches over each of them at their bedside. In Alicja’s case, it is Benigno, a young nurse secretly in love with her; Lidia, meanwhile, is cared for by her new partner, the journalist Marco. As time passes and they care for the women, a sincere friendship develops between the men. The plot becomes somewhat more complex over time as the health conditions of both women reach turning points. Like every film by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, this is a challenging film. However, it must be admitted that it is worth watching. Critics have often raved about this film—it is said to be Almodóvar’s best work, and it is frequently called a “masterpiece.” Undoubtedly, for people in the medical field, this film may not be a major cinematic discovery or a masterpiece—but it is certainly worth a little attention. Finally, I’d like to mention a small detail in the film, though certainly not the most important one—in Talk to Her, the director references a certain silent film (The Incredible Shrinking Man), making changes to it and paraphrasing the title as The Shrinking Lover. If you haven’t had the chance to see Jack Arnold’s 1957 film yet, I highly recommend it.