BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

besherat And again me and the Spanish cinematography, Pedro Almodavar and his famous "Matador ". Excellent camera with a nice separate film frames, throughout the film holds special attention. Also, the soundtrack, tells the story perfectly. I especially remember the scene, when Mary stands on the bridge, where she saw the suicide and when she says, that this place is very attracted to her ,and keep her returning there. The story of the sick passions, obsessions with death, which even leads to a fascination with, the moment of eclipse in connection with the eclipse of the mind, a sense of guilt absent, Parapsychological phenomena ,prediction of events, the Oedipus complex, as it was Pedro masterfully arranged in "Matador". The film I really liked and left a strong impression on me. What to say that this film is really exceptional work of art.

Brandon Abel "Matador" is one of the most interesting and unique of Almodovar 's films, which is saying a lot considering this is Pedro we are talking about! The majority of the characters engage in untoward sexual behavior. Death is an obsession and killing is an aphrodisiac even if it means the end of your own life. The characters are deeply flawed but their horrendous actions are treated as being almost commonplace. I was conflicted while watching the film, because the main characters are monsters, but the actors make the characters so real that one understands what drives their evil tendencies. It is interesting how Angel appears to be the only character who feels any remorse for his attempted rape. Maria and Diego appear completely self serving without any guilt. Even Eva is willing to not tell the police on Diego if he will stay with her. These characters are monsters. But they are complex and wholly intriguing. We may not encounter these types of people, but we know they are out there, which keeps us wanting to know what they will do and how they can live with themselves after they have murdered, attempted rape, or are willing to ignore disgusting crimes for love.Although not as vibrant in color as Almodovar's more recent films, "Matador" still makes use of his love of red. In one particular scene, Eva runs down the stairs in pursuit of Maria, which creates a gorgeous image and is what we expect from Pedro. His camp sensibility is also apparent in the film as he mixes surprising comedy with drama. One example is when the detective says what have you done and Angel's psychologist, Julia, says straight faced, "I curled it" while pointing at her hair. Hilarious!Almodovar created a film that would have never been allowed under Franco's rule. You will be sitting there shocked but fully engrossed in this bizarre story.

dromasca It is very much worth watching this early film of Almodovar from 1986, with a painfully young Antonio Banderas also at one of his first major screen presences. As many of his latest great movies it's a film hard to put in a precise square, a combination of comedy and tragedy, of crime, love and corrida movie with a touch of absurd and a touch of passion taken directly from life.Although many of the major themes of passion, sexual desire and ambiguity, relation between love and death are already present the movie is somehow simpler in action and easier to watch than some of the later films. The story of two sexual predators and murderers, united in life by the passion for bull fights and in death by their passion for each other is acted with accuracy by a good team of actors and directed with an already recognizable style by Almodovar. The hand of the young master is certainly already there, and the film ages well 20 years after is premiere.

writers_reign The NFT in London are currently holding an Almodovar season - what else would pseuds do - and the best you can give it is that at least it's not New Voices From The Rain Forest: Some Recent Films From Jivaro Directors, which is probably scheduled for Next year. Having failed to 'see' anything in Almodovar's recent titles I thought perhaps his earlier titles would have something going for them. Alas, I have to conclude not much. His first film, screened last week, and this one from six years later are apparently based on the theory that if it's outrageous enough it will be good. T'ain't so, honey, t'ain't so. This time around we have a Black Widow spider of a lawyer who kills her partners at the moment of orgasm, an ex-matador who likes his girl friend to pretend to be a stiff every time HE gets stiff, a 'psychic' virgin with a penchant for confessing to serial killing, etc, put them together and what do you get? Bibbety-Bobbity-Poo or pretentious crap, whichever's the greater. If it's a choice between this and being force-fed ALL the Carry On titles whilst Elton John brays from a speaker system I know which I'd choose.