'Pain & Glory'

Federico Felliini once said “all art is autobiographical,” and certainly the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar hasn’t shied from strip-mining his life for material, in such films as “All About My Mother” and “Volver,” among others.

Almodóvar’s latest, “Pain & Glory,” feels on the surface to be even more overtly autobiographical — though with the director’s puckish nature, who’s to say that this story of an aging movie director isn’t pure fiction?

Like Fellini’s classic “8 1/2,” this movie is about a movie director, Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas). Mallo has decided to retire from directing, mostly because of his chronic back pain, migraines and other ailments that leave him in various sorts of pain. When his illnesses work in concert to give him several pains at once, he says in his narration, he believes in God — but when only one pain is afflicting him, in that moment, he’s an atheist.

When he’s in pain, or on his pain medication, he often flashes back to his childhood — mostly to memories of his loving mother (played by Penélope Cruz). The flashbacks grow more frequent after a reunion with Alberto (Asier Etxeandia), the tempestuous star of Salvador’s career-making movie 32 years ago, when the actor gets Salvador interested in smoking heroin.

Almodóvar, who wrote and directed, takes Salvador down some other excursions down memory lane — while his loyal assistant Mercedes (Nora Navas) tries to keep him on track and seeing his doctor.

The movie is a showcase for Banderas, who gets to play so many emotions — agony, desire, love, hate, anger and ecstasy — and makes them each authentic. It’s a subtle performance, but all the more powerful in the way Banderas’ charming exterior gives way to everything Salvador is keeping inside.

“Pain & Glory” could be read as Almodóvar’s thesis on the intersection of love and art, and how a director like Salvador may sacrifice the things he cares about — like his mother’s feelings or his old friendships — for the sake of creating his art. No matter how close this story is to Almodóvar’s own truth, he makes this story feel real, which maybe is all that matters.

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‘Pain & Glory’

★★★1/2

Opened October 4 in select cities; opens Friday, November 8, at the Broadway Centre Cinemas (Salt Lake City). Rated R for drug use, some graphic nudity and language Running time: 113 minutes; in Spanish with subtitles.