The
twisty plot, taken from a Ruth Rendell story, is handled adroitly,
lightly, and concerns young Victor (Javier Bardem), imprisoned for the
accidental shooting of a policeman: when released, he finds the girl he
loves married to the now paraplegic cop. Almodovar has toned down the
frenetic heat of his early comedies: this is an almost restrained,
intimate picture of passion, jealousy and revenge, the vivid characters
dignified by real emotion and motivation; and all this allied to the old
Pedro’s vibrant visual style. With Angela Molina and Penelope Cruz.
