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By
DEBORAH NICOL
Pedro Almodóvar ("Tie Me Up!
Tie Me Down!") constructs yet another beautifully
interwoven tale of fascinating women and the men
that become them. In Almodóvar's gloriously uneven
world the estrogen flows strong and without mercy,
and men hold little importance aside from the
ability to help create another woman (or
eventual-woman). Almodóvar has a talent for
pulling anecdotes out of a hat and weaving them
together to create a tale that depends on each and
every fiber. Connections become unbreakable,
though initially inconceivable.
Almodóvar presents his influences in plain view,
yet the originality of his own story prevents the
references from diluting the impact of the film.
Bette Davis' "All About Eve" envelops the film
(and is reflected in the title) as women assume
the identities of other women. This reference may
seem obvious when portrayed on stage, yet that
relevance to the overall story is minor. It is the
manor in which each woman slips into each other's
skins that leaves the impression that though each
is unique, their fingerprints may be quite
similar.
Almodóvar also uses "A Streetcar Named Desire" as
a vehicle for women seeking escape from their
cocoons of unhappiness. Whether it is lack of
familial support, lack of breasts, or lack of the
right career, each woman soon learns to feed her
desires and create wings from that which was
previously suffocating. As this is no fairy tale
these complications feel natural and true, and
instead of a glass slipper the women find honesty
in their lives.
The strong cast of women are perfect to portray a
grieving mother searching for her son's father
(Cecilia Roth), a pregnant nun attempting a life
on her own (Penélope Cruz), an aging stage actress
(Marisa Paredes) trying to hold onto her young
drug-addled actress girlfriend, and a transsexual
prostitute with nothing to hide (Antonia San
Juan).
Roth ("A Place in the World") is stellar as the
spider that weaves each story's strands together.
She provides strength for all of the other
characters, yet quickly breaks down when someone
inadvertently reminds her of her own troubles. Her
weakness in running away from her life presents
her with a parallel life of the same worries, now
seen through the eyes of an ill, young nun. Cruz
("Belle Epoque") presents her character with
fragility masked only by her openness and brave
acceptance of her situation. Her appearance on
camera lends a softness to the film not always
felt through the rough edges of the other
characters.
Paredes ("The Flower of My Secret") reveals
through her character a weathered woman trying to
maintain a tough exterior while reliving the
wildness of youth through her untamable lover.
Though her connection to the other women is not as
tenable, her desire to belong to them is. It is
often in her dressing room that life becomes
unwound, and the stage dressings are removed.
San Juan portrays the
hooker-with-a-tongue-of-gold, as Almodóvar's
jester who also wants to be taken seriously.
Though her quips often lessen the burden of a
situation, her honesty strengthens their
importance. As the other women learn to make
themselves happy in their own skin, ex-prostitute
Agrado focuses her happiness on everyone else.
Almodóvar creates such amazing and complicated
tales that could easily be broken into intriguing
short stories. Yet he somehow blends lives
together in such a way that to break them apart
would be a crime. Life as we know it should be so
simple.
Extras on the DVD include an interview with the
director by Columbia film professor Annette
Insdorf, a quickie collage as a making-of
featurette, and text files on the director and
stars. |
