Headless Woman - Amazing Movie

No surprise to me to see that Pedro Almadovar was one of the producers of this Argentine movie, The Headless Woman, because it does, as his movies do, focus so intently on a female lead character, literally never leaving her point of view (except for the opening sequence). Plot summary very simple: she (Vero - does it mean truth?) is driving on a country road, turns to do something (pick up sunglasses), strikes someone or something (never completely clear, at least to her),stops for an anguished moment, then drives away. The movie follows her for the next week. It appears she has completely lost her memory, whether through physical trauma or shock, not clear at first. What's amazing about the film is that we see things and people exactly as she does. Like her, we have no idea who these characters are. She's like us, in other words, trying to make sense of this movie. Which guy is her husband? Which is her brother? In one great sequence, a maid tells her they're waiting for her at the office. It's obvious Vero doesn't know what office, where. A cab takes her to a dental clinic. She sits down in the waiting area, among some kids. An assistant say, they're waiting for you. She's the dentist. Totally befuddled. Just as life is not easy for her, this film is not easy for us - but it's totally compelling. Shot with a lot of handheld, poorly lit, very amateurish look to it, no backgound music at all except for ambient sound. Gradually, she gets some memory back and her life moves along - but that's only one aspect of the film. It's not just a pyschological thriller, but also, as Marge noted while we were watching, it's a political story. The kid she struck (apparently - never 100% clear) is a poor kid from a tiny village, perhaps Indian. Nobody really cares that much how he died, the police aren't pursuing this at all, and Vero's family is well able to cover the traces of her accident. They're interested only in clearing her of suspicion. And - she's a good person, runs dental clinics for the poor. It's a story of fate and of moral and ethical decisions. Short, not pretty, totally compelling.