pedro, pedro, pedro.  the first pedro film i recall seeing was all about my mother.  prior to that, i had read about the dude and got the impression of a top notch artist.  but after seeing it, i was not particularly impressed.  subsequent films of his ive seen i ve more or less liked.  his films feel like extreme soap operas, but soap operas none the less (telenovela-ish as well).  which brings me to this thought, soap operas don't necessarily need to be taken as trash, if done well.  now, whether or not particular soap operas/telenovelas are of quality, that is another question.  but being a soap opera/telenovela is not in and of itself reason alone to discard.  there are good soap operas/telenovelas, and there are bad ones.  pedro's films feel like good ones to me.  yes, im sure i've pissed off plenty of you by comparing the work of pedro (we're on a first name basis here) to a soap opera/telenovela, but that's how they feel to me.  the problem is not the comparison so much as it is any pre-conceived notion we may have of a soap opera/telenovela.  sorta like when people immediately assume comic books have no aesthetic value.

i liked this.  the story certainly pulls you in.  in fact, if i think about it, the very first pedro i saw, all about, was the last one i didnt particularly care for.  i'll need to revisit it and see if i still feel the same, considering that i am now more familiar with his work/style.  viva pedro, baby!