With his latest release Parallel Mothers, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar delivers a truly exceptional political melodrama starring his frequent collaborator, Penelope Cruz. This is Cruz’s fifth starring role with Almodóvar (alongside two cameos in other films), and definitely a high achievement for both of them. Cruz stars as Janis, a single mother who gets entangled with another single mother Ana (Milena Smit) while pursuing an archaeological exhumation of her great-grandfather who was executed during the Spanish Civil War. Since her first film with Almodovar, they have shaped each other’s careers and both have done their best work with each other. Let’s take a look at their films together.
Live Flesh, 1997 – Isabel
Cruz just has a brief cameo in this film, as a prostitute who gives birth on a bus. The baby is named Victor (played as an adult by Liberto Rabal), and becomes the main character in this twisted thriller. Live Flesh is somewhat of a misstep for Almodóvar; it’s erotic and suspenseful, but missing vital energy. The opening birth scene is the best part, thanks to a clever execution and an immensely compelling performance from Cruz. Even this early, it is clear why the director was so taken with Cruz and why she would return to him many times over.
All About My Mother, 1999 – Rosa
Often considered Almodóvar’s masterpiece, All About My Mother features Cruz as an idealistic nun Rosa who reveals she is pregnant and tests positive for HIV. Cruz fleshes out Rosa’s naivete and girlishness, even as a young woman who has a rough road ahead of her. The film is an empathetic tribute to women’s resilience and courage among life’s challenges; Rosa is never judged or shamed for her choices. Cruz is quite endearing and funny, resisting making Rosa into a victim or an idiot. She is just a young woman who followed her heart and is surviving what life brings to her.
Volver, 2006 – Raimunda
This is my personal favorite Almodóvar film, and a significant reason for that is Cruz’s dynamite lead performance. Becoming the first Spanish woman to be recognized with a Best Actress Oscar nomination, Cruz offers a textured, complicated performance. She is both fire and ice, courage and vulnerability, and hero and victim. Volver is about the ever-changing genres of women’s lives (thriller, comedy, melodrama, horror) and Cruz anchors the various subplots and twists with resolve, humor, and world-weariness. It’s a breathtaking and unforgettable piece of work for both director and actress.
Broken Embraces, 2009 – Lena
This is the first of only two Almodóvar films where Cruz isn’t playing a mother. Almodóvar’s fascination with screens and the capture of a camera comes to a head with his trippy, enigmatic erotic thriller. Cruz creates a fully-rounded character of someone who exists in memory. Broken Embraces isn’t quite as well-regarded as it should be, but it is worth exploring due to the uniqueness of Cruz’s Lena. She’s not quite a femme fatale nor is she a damsel in distress. She jumps out of the screen to make an impression in this expressive, plotty noir melodrama.
I’m So Excited!, 2013 – Jessica
There really isn’t much to say about Cruz in I’m So Excited!, because it’s basically just a cute cameo alongside Antonio Banderas. They’re both funny, and it’s kind of cool to see the two Almodóvar muses on screen together. It’s hard to believe that this is the only film where they share scenes together.
Pain and Glory, 2019 – Jacinta
This is the second film with both Cruz and Banderas, but they do not have any scenes together as Cruz plays the mother of Banderas’ Salvador in flashbacks. Jacinta is a fierce mother, who has such dreams for her son. She’s frustrated and loving, and a portrait of motherhood in Almodóvar’s small village. Cruz is magnificent in her half of this introspective film, playing a version of Almodóvar’s own mother. She is radiant, full of motherly love and impatience. Choosing Cruz to play his mother is a reference itself to Volver and All About My Mother, both of which were inspired by the women in Almodóvar’s life who shaped his childhood and storytelling.
Parallel Mothers, 2021 – Janis
This is Almodóvar’s at his most righteously angry as he explores the bloody history of Spain through this intricate melodrama. Cruz goes deeper and darker than she’s ever been in her career with Janis, making thorny decisions and diving into extremely tough territory. She’s never better than in a scene where she faces the camera and delivers a monologue about the injustice and suffering her people experienced. It’s an explosive role, pushing both Cruz and Almodóvar further than even their best films together.
Penelope Cruz so often gets pigeonholed into glamorous, sexy roles in Hollywood, but her fruitful collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar reveal an actress who takes risks and provides oft-contradictory shades. For his part, the director seems to be enlivened by her willingness to devote herself to the films, the characters, and to him. Their films together are quite extraordinary and beautiful, and I hope they continue to challenge each other.
