In the definitely not semi-autobiographical Pain and Glory, whose director, Almodóvar, has said his life is meaningless without directing, we have Salvador Mallo, a director who cannot direct and feels his life is meaningless. Almodóvar, however, obviously can direct, so please don’t say this film is in any way semi-biographical, despite Mallo bearing so many similarities to Almodóvar. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…

Mallo’s films, often inspired by his own life (but not autobiographical) have won him renown and awards. One of his films, considered a classic, is getting restored, and Mallo and the film’s star are invited to the screening. This would be less of a problem if Mallo and the actor got along, but… you know actors (we’re sure Almodóvar didn’t base this on anyone, since the film isn’t autobiographical). This walk down memory lane, combined with the physical and emotional ailments that prevent Mallo from directing, lead him to think of the past and to a time when he felt more engaged and excited about the world around him. Who knows? Mallo could just end up getting his groove back.

By the time we screen this, it might actually be cold out. The perfect weather to have a film set in sunny Mexico.