The Human Voice (2020)

Abandoned by her lover of four years, an unstable woman (Tilda Swinton) is in despair as she speaks to her lover over the phone before he bows out of her life forever. Based on the play by Jean Cocteau and directed by Pedro Almodovar (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER). Cocteau's one act drama provides a tour de force for an actress and indeed, several major actresses have played the role on the stage, film and television. Among them: Ingrid Bergman, Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren and Rosamund Pike. Here, Tilda Swinton takes a swipe at it. Almodovar's film is a free adaptation and updated to contemporary times (Swinton speaks on a hands free cell phone). Swinton is (no surprise) wonderful and Almodovar surrounds her with bright colored backdrops, a stylish apartment and a terrific wardrobe by Sonia Grande. There's an excellent underscore by Alberto Iglesias. Almodovar even manages to sneak in DVDs of Sirk's ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS and WRITTEN ON THE WIND into the proceedings.