Talk to Her

"Talk to Her" is a Spanish film directed by Pedro Almodova. It centers on a male nurse, Benigno, who takes care of a woman in a coma, Alicia. Other characters in the film are Marco and Lydia who are in a similar situation. Benigno believes that in order for healing to begin, you must talk to the person in the coma as if they were awake. Marco has a difficult time believing this since there is no actual proof of the person benefiting from this process.

I thought the film was entertaining in that its story was very original. The way the conflicts presented themselves, I found myself feeling sorry for Benigno because of his apparent mental illnesses. Even though the things he had done to Alicia were disgusting and disturbing I found myself taking his side and almost believing that the work he was doing was working.

Aside from the story’s disturbing nature, the acting and art direction of the film were very well done. Almodova has a certain way around the camera and introduces fresh angles to familiar conflicts. The black and white scene is one of the best in the film, and also the most disturbing.

This was a great first impression for our international film making class and by far one of my favorites from it.