--- title: "Broken Embraces: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/broken-embraces/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/broken-embraces" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Broken Embraces (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 18 reviews: 9 positive, 8 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Broken Embraces without quite loving it. Nine of the eighteen reviews are positive and one is negative, and the praise clusters in two places: Almodóvar’s visual style, with Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography and the fluid movement between past and present singled out, and Penélope Cruz, whose screen presence is admired even by reviewers who are cool on the film around her. Several also warm to its playful love of cinema and its references to the director’s earlier work. The reservations are about feeling. Many find the film emotionally thin, its intricate plotting more clever than moving, and more than one reviewer calls it minor Almodóvar, best suited to his devoted fans. The spread is wide. The AV Club rates it A- and finds brokenhearted romanticism in it; The New Yorker finds it chilly and airless, fixated on Cruz posing, and Slant makes much the same complaint about her character being reduced to a beautiful image. ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Rating A-. 19 November 2009. Phipps finds the film a studied, stylish piece of filmmaking animated by brokenhearted romanticism. He praises its blend of Douglas Sirk melodrama and Hitchcockian unease, especially in Penélope Cruz’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/broken-embraces-1798207494) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2009. Sharkey gives the film a warmly positive review, admiring its intricate, playful storytelling. She particularly praises Penélope Cruz’s versatility and Lluís Homar’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-11-la-et-broken11-2009dec11-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2009. Bradshaw finds the film seductive, intelligent and engrossing, despite its fleeting pleasures. He particularly praises its vivid visual style and fluid movement between past and present. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/aug/27/broken-embraces-review) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 25 August 2009. The 4/5 rating indicates a positive verdict. The available description praises the charming eccentricity of Almodóvar’s English-language film titles. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/broken-embraces-2) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2009. Newman finds the film gorgeous and seductive, though somewhat overlong and best suited to Almodóvar fans. He praises Cruz’s dazzling, distinctive screen presence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/broken-embraces-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Omar Moore Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The headline presents the film as a passionate celebration of cinema. The accessible page provides no further detail about the critic’s verdict or specific praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/almodovars-passionate-celebration-of-cinema-omar-moore-on-broken-embraces) ## Variety — Jonathan Holland Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 March 2009. Holland finds the film restless and enjoyable, but says its love story never fully catches fire. He praises its visual richness, fluid editing and witty dialogue, while noting that its emotional center is elusive. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/broken-embraces-1200474138/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2009. The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be established. The available page content does not provide enough information to summarize the review. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/movies/11movies.html) ## Little White Lies — Sophie Ivan Rating 4/3/3. 28 August 2009. Ivan finds the film visually and stylistically impressive but emotionally hollow, with its cleverness fading quickly. She praises how smoothly the intricate construction holds together, while faulting Cruz’s role for offering little emotional depth. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/broken-embraces) ## Total Film — Kevin Harley Rating 3/5. 23 July 2009. Harley finds plenty to enjoy but says the film lacks emotional heft and relies on familiar grooves. He praises Almodóvar’s sensual visual style and highlights Penélope Cruz’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/broken-embraces-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 2/4. 21 September 2009. Schager finds the film visually gorgeous but emotionally thin and overly reliant on familiar themes. He praises Penélope Cruz’s commanding screen presence, while criticizing the film for reducing her character to a beautiful, inscrutable image. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/broken-embraces/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2009. Festival review. The critic finds the film engrossing but minor, more a plotting and movie-nostalgia exercise than a story about real people. He praises the lead performances and Rodrigo Prieto’s exquisite cinematography, especially the close-ups of Penélope Cruz. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/broken-embraces-film-review-93192/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 48/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the film skillfully made but not a new masterwork, likely to appeal more to Almodóvar’s devoted fans. They praise its fluid storytelling and visual polish, while faulting its reliance on the director’s earlier work and influences. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/broken-embraces-puts-loyalty-to-the-test-7415782.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2009. Lane finds the film visually intelligent but emotionally chilly, with its intricate plotting failing to stir the heart. He praises the vivid imagery and Cruz’s screen presence, while faulting the film’s fixation on her posing and its airless contrivances. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/11/23/only-make-believe) ## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2009. Robertson calls it an excellent, entertaining work and a strong introduction to Almodóvar’s films. He praises its dense, dazzling storytelling and the haunting visual passion, while noting that some comedy and wordplay do not translate well. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/broken-embraces-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) ## Paste — Eric Calderwood Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2009. The critic presents the film as a compelling, self-reflective work about making sense of life through movies. They single out its haunting score, rich colors, and playful references to Almodóvar’s earlier films for praise. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/pedro-almodovar/broken-embraces-los-abrazos-rotos) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 March 2010. The critic finds the film a light, minor work that nonetheless rises above its limitations through Almodóvar’s skill. He praises its craft, performances, and playful love of cinema. [Read the review](https://collider.com/broken-embraces-blu-ray-review/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2009. The critic finds the film an artful, entertaining noir, though its plot tangles and emotional distance keep it from fully succeeding. Penélope Cruz’s enigmatic performance and Almodóvar’s balance of noir grit with melodrama stand out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a172975/broken-embraces/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/broken-embraces.md