735

A very promising introduction to Almodovar's world for me to say the least. I didn't even find it particularly hilarious, although it does get funnier toward the end, but the overall aesthetic did really appeal to me. Campy stylization plus '80s decor/fashion is always a win. Best of all is that it seems like a pretty safe assumption that Almodovar has made other films that are just as good if not better. Seeing as how it was a pretty arbitrary place to start i can't say that i was disappointed.

#792

It's good as entertainment and as a way to pass the time, but not much more. I always kind of like Almodovar's chic, and it's the same here but less outstanding and good than in his other films I watched. The ending (the whole second half actually) is messy and bad kind of kitch.

Passion! Desire! Romance! Craziness! Banderas! Maura! Almodovar!

Not so interesting, especially when it falls back on the hackiest of hackneyed devices: amnesia. Almodovar does have a brilliant eye which brought life to a few scenes, but for the most part the story just floundered around and the characters were lifeless. The ending is a puzzler and inconsistent with the development of Pablo's character. Either it's meant to be Antonio's fantasy or Almodovar is just being operatic (which seems more likely). Not bad, but not really worth the time.

# 909

80's drug-fueled homosexuality, about what one would expect from Almodovar. At times it's rather interesting but the story clearly takes a back seat to the strangeness of the characters whose seem to only exist to be provocative. Frankly, that gets tiresome to me.

672

LOD has one of my favorite openings in all of cinema: one big manipulation laugh-out-loud mind-f**k that sets the tone for the absurdity of the rest of the film. But is Banderas' desire all that absurd? The ending, basically a homosexual pieta caught in (literally) flames of passion, is both goofy and grave in what it says about what art inspires.