Pedro Almodovar’s dark drama is a brilliant character study, taking on themes of desire, abuse, blackmail, cinema, and the sins of the Catholic church. Gorgeously shot by Jose Luis Alcaine , it’s part fever dream, part Hitchcockian thriller, and the cast- from Gael Garcia Bernal as Angel, to Fele Martinez as Enrique, and Daniel Gimenez Cacho’s creepy Padre Manolo- are all completely wonderful. No spoilers here though, any full plot description would bring too much detail in, and give the game anyway.
What’s genius is the way Almodovar wrongfoots the viewer at every turn. It starts with his typically high-camp melodramatic tropes, then the twists become nastier, until a richer, meta- film emerges: ultimately, it’s all about the nature of identity, and who really gets to narrate the story of their own life, without compromising, through the prism of art.
It could have been an overcooked, deeply contrived mess, but the pacing is even, and it’s beautifully crafted in every way. I feel people often respond more to his earlier, more explicit work, but this film takes on weighty issues with skill, style and elegance. It’s also pretty sexy at times: Garcia Bernal and Martinez make attractive and emotionally complex leading men.
Hit The North 