Almodóvar's 'Bitter Christmas' Opens in Spain With $3 Million as Cannes Entry Draws Mixed Praise
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 19
Almodóvar's 'Bitter Christmas' Opens in Spain With $3 Million as Cannes Entry Draws Mixed Praise
6 articles · Updated · Variety · May 19
$3 million in domestic ticket sales has put Pedro Almodóvar's "Bitter Christmas" ahead of recent titles "The Room Next Door" and "Parallel Mothers" since its late-March Spain opening, though still below "Pain and Glory."
The film arrives in Cannes as the only non-world premiere in competition this year, an exception Almodóvar has previously received with films including "Volver," "Julieta" and "Pain and Glory."
"Bitter Christmas" centers on a filmmaker and an auteur alter ego in a nested story about creative theft, memory and artistic decline, with Bárbara Lennie leading an overdue first major collaboration with Almodóvar.
Reviewers praised its vivid performances, splashy visual design and metatextual ambition, but said its insular themes, abrupt ending and lack of Antonio Banderas- or Penélope Cruz-level star power could limit wider commercial reach.
Is Almodóvar's new film a profound self-critique or has the acclaimed director simply run out of new ideas?
Can an auteur film succeed internationally without big stars, or are its personal themes a box office liability?