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"TALK TO HER" (2002) (Javier Cámara, Darío Grandinetti) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Moderate Heavy *Mild None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Mild Mild Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Moderate Mild Heavy Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: Two men react differently to having the women they love being in comas. PLOT: Benigno (JAVIER CÁMARA) is a male nurse who's spent most of his life caring for bedridden women. The first was his mother, but he now cares for Alicia (LEONOR WATLING), a former ballet student who's been in a coma for several years. Compassionate and hard-working, Benigno claims to be gay, but it's readily apparent that he cares deeply for Alicia, whether it's giving her full body massages or talking to her as if she can understand him. Marco (DARÍO GRANDINETTI) is a journalist who's been assigned by his paper to interview female bullfighter Lydia (ROSARIO FLORES). While she thinks he's only interested in her high profile but tumultuous relationship with fellow matador Niño de Valencia (ADOLFO FERNÁNDEZ), Marco is more interested in her and the two quickly become an item. Yet, they start to having problems communicating, a point that's only exacerbated when a bull gores and leaves her in a coma. Lydia is placed in the same facility where Benigno works, and the two men eventually strike up an unlikely friendship. Their views on the women in their lives, however, are vastly different. While Benigno remains optimistic, as does Alicia's ballet instructor, Katarina (GERALDINE CHAPLIN), Marco doesn't see any light at the end of the tunnel for Lydia. With time passing and Benigno finally expressing his desire to marry Alicia despite her still being comatose, the unexpected development threatens to change the lives of all those involved in ways they never imagined. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, director Pedro Almodóvar or foreign movies, it's not very likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For nudity, sexual content and some language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JAVIER CÁMARA plays the optimistic male nurse who cares for Alicia and her comatose state. Although he claims to be gay, he likes Alicia in what we eventually discover are increasingly disturbing ways (including previously stalking her and then ultimately apparently raping her). He uses some strong profanity. DARÍO GRANDINETTI plays a journalist who has a hard time coping with his lack of communication with Lydia both when she was conscious and now that she's in a coma. A constant pessimist, he smokes and befriends Benigno. LEONOR WATLING plays a former ballet student who's now in a coma. ROSARIO FLORES plays a headstrong bullfighter who enters into an affair with Marco after breaking off a relationship with another matador. She also ends up in a coma after a bull gores her. GERALDINE CHAPLIN plays Alicia's ballet instructor who cares for the young woman like a mother. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this English-subtitled drama that's been rated R. Profanity consists of several subtitled uses of the "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also heard/seen. Some sexually related dialogue is present, as are various views of a young comatose woman's breasts as she's massaged, etc. An old-looking silent film has a scene where a mouse-sized husband hugs his sleeping wife's bare breasts and then enters her vagina (like a cave) in an explicit, but obviously faked recreation of the real thing. Other nudity, including additional female full frontal is present. We hear, but don't see that a male nurse has raped the comatose patient he loves (resulting in her being pregnant), while other bad attitudes are also present. Several characters are comatose, including one who was gored by a bull with bloody results, while we hear that a person committed suicide. Some brief violence to animals (most of it not directly seen, but including bullfighting) is also present. Meanwhile, various characters drink and/or smoke. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Various people have drinks, including Lydia and her boyfriend, while Marco enters and has a beer. Some miscellaneous people drink. There's some comment about traveling a lot to keep some woman away from drugs. Benigno has beer and appears to be dunking food into it. BLOOD/GORE A comment is made between Benigno and another nurse about Alicia having her period early and we then see them working between her legs, but don't see anything explicit. During a bullfight, we see a bull with various banderillas (barbed sticks) sticking out of its back with blood down the body (and then even more). A bull races at Lydia and knocks her down and then thrashes her about on the ground as it gores her (with some blood on the dirt around her body and from her nose and/or mouth). Three weeks later, we see partially healed wounds and cuts on her face. We hear a receptionist tell someone on the phone, "I've just taken an elephant-sized dump." DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE For those who don't like violence to animals, we see a bull (during a bullfight) with various banderillas (barbed sticks) sticking out of its back with blood down the body. In addition, Marco kills a snake in Lydia's place, but we don't see the impact (although we hear the sound of him hitting it with a bat). Alicia's father asks Benigno about his sexual orientation and the terms "faggot" and "dyke" are later used. Benigno essentially stalks Alicia while she's alive and then ends up raping her (believing he loves her) while she's comatose. Some nurses talk about Benigno being gay and there's use of the term "faggot." A hospital administrator refers to Benigno has a "retard." FRIGHTENING SCENES For those who don't like violence to animals, we see a bull (during a bullfight) with various banderillas (barbed sticks) sticking out of its back with blood down the body. We hear Lydia let out several blood-curdling screams and then see her run out of her place, stating there's a large snake in there. Marco then goes in and slowly looks around for it, eventually finds it, and kills it (we don't see the impact). A bull races at Lydia and knocks her down and then thrashes her about on the ground as it gores her (with some blood on the dirt around her body and from her nose and/or mouth). After a person learns that another person may do harm to themselves, he races there to try to prevent that from happening (but is too late). GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases (in Spanish with English subtitles): "Holy sh*t," "I sh*t myself," "I don't give a sh*t about that," "Nuts" (crazy), "Faggot," "Dyke," "Don't freak out," "Bastard," "Retard" and "Screwed" (nonsexual). We hear a receptionist tell someone on the phone, "I've just taken an elephant-sized dump." We hear that a person committed suicide. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of slightly suspenseful and dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A singer on a stage sings that "we made love last night" and that it wasn't good or bad and uses the line, "Intimate stranger." PROFANITY At least 3 "f" words (1 used sexually), 3 "s" words, 1 hell and 1 use each of "God," "Jesus," "My God," "Oh God" and "Oh my God" as exclamations (in Spanish with English subtitles). SEX/NUDITY During a stage performance, we see part of a woman's bare breast in the sheer nightgown she wears (through which one sees her nipples) We see Alicia's bare breasts as Benigno gives her a sponge bath (she's comatose). A comment is then made between him and another nurse about Alicia having her period early and then see them working between her legs, but don't see anything explicit. A woman doing a TV interview with Lydia talks about some man who shared her bed as well. Lydia shows some cleavage. A comment is made that "everybody loves f*cking." We see Lydia in her sports bra while getting dressed in her traditional bullfighter outfit. We see a nude woman running (brief full frontal and rear from a distance) in a dream. Marco and Lydia passionately kiss. We see Alicia's bare breasts. As part of her therapy (and apparently something more), Benigno massages the inside of Alicia's leg. Alicia's father comes in and wonders about Benigno's sexual orientation (asking if he likes men or women) and there's a brief question about Benigno still being a virgin. Benigno says he's more oriented toward men (but he's lying) and answers "more or less" when asked if he has a partner. Later, Benigno complains about those questions and says that the father didn't ask if a woman was into bestiality. In the past, Alicia shows some cleavage. Alicia's father, a psychiatrist, asks Benigno if he's had sexual relations with a woman (during a therapy session), but Benigno says it was with a man. Benigno spies upon Alicia showering and we see the shape of her body through a frosted door but don't see any explicit details. We do, however, briefly see her bare breasts when she's out of the shower. A female nurse mentions that Marco is "well hung." One then says something about knowing about a man by his face and the other says it's by his crotch. We see Alicia's bare breasts several times as Benigno gives her another massage around her breasts. He then tells her about a film he saw and we then see bits of this old style, silent film (in black and white). In it, a woman has married a man who ends up continually shrinking. We then see the regular-sized woman and her tiny husband in bed. He then pulls off the woman's clothes and we see her bare breasts that he climbs onto. He rolls into her cleavage and then hugs another breast (that's bigger than he is). We then see her pubic hair, he walks down her nude body and we then see a full shot of her genitals, but it's obviously a huge studio set that isn't completely realistic, but one has no problem telling what it is. With it being cave-like, he first puts his arm inside it, pulls it out, removes his shirt and pants (we see his tiny bare butt) and then climbs inside her vagina. We then see the woman's pleasured reactions as she sleeps with him inside her (and hear Benigno telling Alicia that the man stays inside that woman forever, all while we see Benigno massaging Alicia's bare thighs). We see Alicia's bare breasts again as she's been placed lying on her side. There are comments made about her breasts getting bigger and that it's hard not to look at them. We then hear a report that she did not get her period (explaining the larger breasts as she's pregnant). A singer on a stage sings that "we made love last night" and that it wasn't good or bad and uses the line, "Intimate stranger." SMOKING Marco smokes around 4 times, while miscellaneous people also smoke (1 a cigar). Niño wants to smoke in the hospital, but Marco tells him he can't. TENSE FAMILY SCENES There's talk of another nurse having her husband walk out on her and their kids. Lydia mentions that her father recently died. In a flashback scene, we see that Benigno's mother - whom he cared for -- recent died and that he hasn't heard from his father in a long time. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Caring for people in comas and whether there's any hope for long term cases. Bullfighting. For those sensitive to rape issues, there's some brief talk of some nuns who were raped by a priest, and we later hear that Benigno apparently raped and impregnated Alicia while she was comatose. People who stalk others (that's what Benigno does in the past to Alicia). We hear that a person committed suicide. VIOLENCE During a bullfight, we see a bull with various banderillas (barbed sticks) sticking out of its back with blood down the body (and then even more). Marco kills a snake in Lydia's place, but we don't see the impact (although we hear the sound of him hitting it with a bat). A bull races at Lydia and knocks her down and then thrashes her about on the ground as it gores her (with some blood on the dirt around her body and from her nose and/or mouth). Although we don't see the act, Benigno apparently rapes Alicia while she's in a coma (although he apparently viewed it more as lovemaking). We hear that a person committed suicide. Reviewed November 18, 2002 / Posted December 25, 2002

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