The Almodovar Collection

Pedro Almodovar’s movies are as loud, brash and colourful as the characters in them! From hilarious to outrageous, from uncompromising to downright controversial or provocative… if there is one word that does NOT spring to mind when describing his films then it is ‘subtle’. This box-set includes six newly restored works from the celebrated and highly original Spanish filmmaker, from his commercial successes to his lesser known movies. One thing for sure: viewers won’t be bored for even one minute!

DARK HABITS (1983): This all-female vehicle concerns cabaret singer Yolanda (Cristina Sánchez Pascual), who is on the run from the police after her younger boyfriend drops dead from heroin brought to him by her. Yolanda decides to keep a low profile in a local convent and luckily for her, the Mother Superior is a big admirer of her songs. The convent once was a hub for ladies of the night, junkies and other unrespectable members of society but has since fallen into disrepair. Although a certain Marquis donated considerable money, after his death things are even more in decline as the Marchioness is anything but keen on paying the annuity in order to save money. Despite all this going on, Yolanda seems to settle in fine but soon comes to realise that the Mother Superior and her four nuns (going by names such as Sister Manure, Sister Snake, Sister Damned and Sister Sewer Rat) all are inflicted by dark habits they simply cannot seem to shake off… It was Almodóvar’s first movie made with a film company and yes, it’s as bizarre as it sounds.

WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? (1984): This little gem stars the wonderful Carmen Maura in the role of ‘Gloria’, an overworked and underpaid housewife and cleaner addicted to amphetamines. Husband Antonio is a chauvinist pig contributing to the household as a taxi driver… when not dreaming about Ingrid Müller, a German singer he once was involved with during his time in Germany. He also gets entangled in a plan to forge the memoirs of Hitler. Then there are the two teenage sons –Toni who is a drug dealer and the younger Miguel who, despite his young age, is openly gay and who is sold to his gay dentist by Gloria in order to ease the household budget. As if this isn’t enough, the poor woman has to make do with her mother-in-law who wants nothing more than move back to the village of her birth. Among all this misery Gloria has but one friend, her upstairs neighbour Cristal, a bubbly individual working as a prostitute but with aspirations of striking it bib in Las Vegas. One day, during an argument in the kitchen, Gloria accidentally kills Antonio by hitting him over his head with a leg of ham… and despite the odds Gloria’s life suddenly take a turn for the better.

LAW OF DESIRE (1987): A decidedly homo-erotic theme runs throughout this movie in an almost no holds barred kind of way and (ladies, get ready for this) co-stars a young Antonio Banderas as, well, Antonio, an obsessive fan of Pablo Quintero – a director of homo-erotic movies. Obsession soon turns into passion (or perhaps it is the other way around) and Antonio is anything but pleased about the fact that Pablo cannot forget his on-off boyfriend Juan who has recently moved to the seaside. Joining this peculiar love-triangle is Tina (Carmen Maura), Pablo’s brother who has had a sex-change and is now a lesbian. It all spells recipe for disaster and sure enough it doesn’t take long before a murder is committed…

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (1988): It is the film which can be considered Almodóvar’s most commercial success and also the one which gained him worldwide recognition as well as his first ‘Oscar’ nomination. A riotous black comedy beginning to end, it tells the story of voiceover artist and TV-actress Pepa (Carmen Maura) who is depressed because her boyfriend Ivan (also a voiceover artist) has left her. Miserable and compulsive all at once, Pepa’s sorry state is interrupted by the arrival of her friend Candela (Maria Barranco) who clearly has some serious problems which she doesn’t get a chance to reveal, courtesy of Pepa’s self-pity. Pepa wants to sell her penthouse and in the middle of all the tumult a couple ring the doorbell to have a look. They are Carlos (Antonio Banderas) and his fiancée Marisa (Rossy de Palma – an actress with a face like a Cubist Picasso painting!). During the course of the conversation it emerges that Carlos happens to be the son of Ivan and had no idea that the advertised penthouse happens to belong to his father’s ex! While all this is going on, the bored Marisa sneak into the kitchen and helps herself to some gazpacho from the fridge, not realising that earlier on Pepa had spiked it with sleeping pills for her own consumption. On top of the chaos, Candela finally gets her chance to reveal the trouble she’s in, and it has to do with a former boyfriend involved with Shiite terrorists… The stage is set for a rollercoaster ride and the director’s repertory cast take delight in it!

KIKA (1993): At times quite disturbing and graphic, Kika is decidedly darker in tone with scenes of self-flaggelation, a controversial rape scene (played out rather humorously which makes it even more controversial) and other ‘delights’. That’s not to say the film is deprived of humour, for there’s a fair bit in it too! Kika (the fabulous Veronica Forque) works as a make-up artist in Madrid and her entire life is brought into disarray (and that’s an understatement) by lover Ramon (Alex Casanovas) who works as a fashion photographer, his somewhat shady father Nicholas (a brilliant performance by Peter Coyote), her well-meaning lesbian maid Juana (Rossy de Palma), and Juana’s half-witted brother Pablo, a former porn-star and serial rapist just escaped from jail. Add to this tabloid TV-presenter Andrea Scarface (Victoria Abril) – a futuristically clad individual who would sell her dead grandmother to get her hands on even the most shocking of stories – and the ingredients are laid bare for a cocktail most toxic! Oh yes, and we get to see some of fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier wonderfully outlandish outfits!

THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET (1995): By Almodóvar standards, this is a surprisingly subdued and ‘grown-up’ affair, depicting the psychological ups and downs of Leo Macias (Marisa Paredes), a novelist who writes her Barbara Cartland-style stories under the nom de plume ‘Amanda Gris’. When her marriage to husband Paco, a military officer mostly stationed abroad, falls apart so does she, and a downward spiral involving drink and drugs begins! Adding to her aggravation is her constantly bickering and stubborn mother (Chus Lampreave) who longs to move back to her village. Only her younger sister Rosa (Rossy de Palma) and her best friend Betty provide consolation though little does Leo know that Betty is the very reason why hubby Paco has lost interest in their marriage. Work also turns into an ordeal – Leo is contractually obliged to deliver several more ‘Amanda Gris’ novels but due to her personal state feels unable to comply and refuses. Newspaper editor Angel (Juan Echanove) might have the answer. The film furthermore features a spectacular flamenco dance scene performed by Leo’s maid Blanca (the dancer Manuela Vargas) and her son Antonio (professional flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortés).

Almodóvar’s films may not be to everyone’s taste though they deserve a special place in cinema history. The performers are always terrific and the performances always audacious. More surprisingly perhaps is that here is a director who champions the strong spirit of women, no matter in which situation his heroines (often anti-heroines) might be in.

Each of the films comes with an array of Bonus Material.