Following the release
of Pedro Almodóvar’s latest critical success Julieta,
StudioCanal are releasing a boxset of six newly restored films from the Spanish
maestro’s formative years. While his later films are decidedly more restrained
and mature, these earlier works are an intriguing insight into Almodóvar at
his most audacious and mischievous.
These
films introduce many motifs and themes which Almodóvar has continued to
explore throughout his career including strong female characters,
melodramatic plots, fluid sexuality, and a vibrant, gaudy aesthetic. However,
these earlier works implement a wilder, free-wheeling, subversive approach
which typified the sense of sexual and political freedom of their post-Franco
Spanish context.
Originally
rejected by Cannes film festival for its alleged blasphemous treatment of
Catholicism, Dark Habits (1983) is one of Almodóvar’s earliest
films as well as one of his most controversial. It follows nightclub singer
Yolanda (Cristina Sanchez Pascual) who is battling an addiction to drugs. She
finds refuge in a nunnery only to find the eccentric nuns who live within the
convent are just as crazed and unstable as she is. It’s hardly subtle in its
criticism of the Catholic Church’s influence on contemporary Spanish culture
but it does ask some important questions on the difficulty of seeking
redemption in an increasingly debauched world.
Almodóvar
lightens things up in What Have I Done to Deserve This?, a
darkly humorous, farcical delight which pays homage to Italian neo-realism
while also featuring a child with telekinetic powers! The action revolves
around the tumultuous family life of overworked housewife Gloria (Carmen Maura)
as she attempts to keep her idiosyncratic family in check. It’s a deliciously
weird ride that highlights Almodóvar’s affinity with strong female
characters and their plights.
Law of Desire (1987) marks a departure
of tone for Almodóvar – it’s a thriller and his first overtly gay film.
Focusing on homosexual film director Pablo Quintero (Eusebio Poncela) and the
dangerous love triangle he finds himself in, Law of Desire is
a gripping study of the potentially devastating effects of unrequited love. An
effectively twisty plot and a memorably tragic and touching conclusion
evidences Almodóvar’s evolving versatility.
The
most acclaimed film in this collection, and the one that earned Almodóvar
his first Academy nomination, is comedic drama Women on the Verge of a
Nervous Breakdown (1988). It’s clear to see why it’s Almodóvar’s most
celebrated in this boxset – it has the shortest running time of the six
films but achieves the most in terms of characterisation, incisiveness and
sheer entertainment. It’s a breakneck romp which sees actress Pepa (Carmen
Maura) in pieces after a break-up with her latest lover. Pepa plans to commit
suicide via some spiked gazpacho until her best friend Candela (María
Barranco) arrives with news that her ex-boyfriend is part of a Shiite
terrorist cell. Consequently, a crazy set of events are put into motion. It’s a
real roller-coaster ride with eye-catching set design, a franticly engaging
story and an abundance of absurd laughs; this is definitely one
of Almodóvar’s most accomplished works to date.
Kika (1993) represents the
low-point in this boxset. The story revolves around Kika (Veronica
Forqué) a young, naïve make-up artist who is dating a photographer named
Ramon (Àlex Casanovas) while also sleeping with his father Nicholas (Peter
Coyote). Kika’s many disparate parts never quite piece
together and it doesn’t have the likeability of his previous works as well as
having surprisingly little to say. The worst element of Kika is
the extremely misjudged rape of the titular character which is filmed in a
comic, playful manner and tarnishes the rest of the film.
The
last film in this set, The Flower of My Secret (1995), is a
return to form for Almodóvar and reflects his growing maturity as a
film-maker. The film follows Leo Macias (Marisa Paredes), a writer who pens
popular romance novels under the pseudonym of Amanda Gris. However, she is
discontented with her life, and her husband, who works as a military officer in
both Brussels and Bosnia, is becoming distant physically and emotionally. As a
result, Leo starts to explore darker themes in her writing and begins to
re-evaluate her life. Although slight, The Flower of My Secret manages
to be affecting enough, offering a perceptive look at how the everyday issues
in life slowly demoralise an individual and it’s also filled with Almodóvar’s
typical visual flair.
If
you’re a fan of Almodóvar’s more contemporary films and want to see
his most unpredictable and untamed work then you will not be disappointed by
this new collection which is accompanied by a bunch of exclusive cast and crew
interviews and introductions.
THE
ALMODOVAR COLLECTION / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: PEDRO
ALMODOVAR / STARRING: CARMEN MAURA, EUESBIO PONCELA, VERONICA FORQUE / RELEASE
DATE: OUT NOW
