Would you believe that a story about the sexual abuse of a coma patient can still be a love story? No? Well, then follow the story of hospital nurse Benigno, who by chance becomes the caregiver of the girl he has been secretly in love with.
Pedro Almodovar succeeds in telling an odd and unusual love story in a sensitive manner without forgetting the fact that a one-sided love can easily become a dangerous and mind-boggling obsession.
While I kind of disliked the movie when watching it for the first time about 20 years ago, I really appreciated it this time. Probably, it requires a certain maturity and the liking of unusual, not straight forward stories (which I have built up over the years).
Also, worth mentioning:
* Almodovar can't hide one more time his affection for bull fighting.
* There is a short but elaborate 'movie in the movie', and this comes like this: one of the few things that Benigno knows about his patient, is, that she had a certain passion for silent movies in black and white. That is why Benigno sometimes goes watching such films in the movie theatre and we get to see one of those, which turns out to be very much a metaphor for Benigno's personal situation.
* In one of the early scenes Brazilian songwriter Gaetano Veloso is singing his version of the song Cucurrucucú paloma, yet another song about unfulfilled love. Beautiful music and atmosphere, which should not be missed.
Overall an intelligent and interesting movie that probably makes one feel a bit uncomfortable at certain points but it is definitely worth its time.
Pedro Almodovar succeeds in telling an odd and unusual love story in a sensitive manner without forgetting the fact that a one-sided love can easily become a dangerous and mind-boggling obsession.
While I kind of disliked the movie when watching it for the first time about 20 years ago, I really appreciated it this time. Probably, it requires a certain maturity and the liking of unusual, not straight forward stories (which I have built up over the years).
Also, worth mentioning:
* Almodovar can't hide one more time his affection for bull fighting.
* There is a short but elaborate 'movie in the movie', and this comes like this: one of the few things that Benigno knows about his patient, is, that she had a certain passion for silent movies in black and white. That is why Benigno sometimes goes watching such films in the movie theatre and we get to see one of those, which turns out to be very much a metaphor for Benigno's personal situation.
* In one of the early scenes Brazilian songwriter Gaetano Veloso is singing his version of the song Cucurrucucú paloma, yet another song about unfulfilled love. Beautiful music and atmosphere, which should not be missed.
Overall an intelligent and interesting movie that probably makes one feel a bit uncomfortable at certain points but it is definitely worth its time.