Reception
The film has received positive reviews by critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 81% of critics gave the film a positive rating, based on 145 reviews. Its consensus states "Pedro Almodovar's fourth film with Penélope Cruz isn't his finest work, but he brings his signature visual brilliance to this noirish tale, and the cast turns in some first-class performances." It currently holds a score of 76 (generally favorable reviews) on Metacritic. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, and wrote that "Broken Embraces is a voluptuary of a film, drunk on primary colors, caressing Penelope Cruz, using the devices of a Hitchcock to distract us with surfaces while the sinister uncoils beneath."
The film was accepted into the main selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or, Almodóvar's third to do so, and fourth to screen at the festival. Broken Embraces was nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Almodóvar's sixth film to be nominated in this category. It was also nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the Satellite Award for Best Actress for Penélope Cruz's performance, and received both a Best Directing and a Best Original Script at the 2010 Vits Awards.
Read more about this topic: Broken Embraces
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