Almodovar's depiction of a family of poor Madrileños is
nothing if not bleak: everyone is addicted to something, from cleaning
products to fizzy water. This farce has lots of the crazy humour that is
one of Almodovar's trademarks, and as usual he just about manages to
keep from offending people - particularly in an outrageous advert and a
visit to the dentist. Despite Maura's performance as the mother on the
edge of a nervous breakdown, the film doesn't really work. The plot is
non-existent, but you can see Almodovar's style starting to gel from
the random early gag-fests to the stylish comedies that came straight
afterwards.
