Fast-paced absurd farce from Almodovar, then enfant terrible of
Spanish Cinema, which centres on actress Pepa (Carmen Maura) barely
coping with breaking up with her lover, Ivan (Fernando Guillen). Right
from the titles, through the stunning opening sequence, featuring
Pepa and Ivan overdubbing Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden in Johnny
Guitar, but in fact describing their own relationship, everything is
artifice filmed in postcard-bright colours. Despite the bizarre plot
twists centring on Shiite terrorists and some gazpacho, you somehow
still feel for Pepa and her similarly stressed friends. Almodovar's
most successful until All About My Mother.
