I suppose that this movie can be seen as some sort of social satire, but to me (and I bet Almodóvar doesn't mind!), it's mainly a hilarious black comedy, full of insane situations, eccentric characters and bizar events. At first everything appears utterly confusing and incoherent, but gradually Almodóvar makes all the weird storylines skillfully and very satisfactory come together. There's adultery, multiple murders and voyeurism, to name a few, but as heavy as this may sound, Almodóvar succeeds in bringing it all with deadpan humor, even in an absurd rape-scene that takes forever and actually is the pivotal moment of the movie.
Verónica Forqué is indefatigable as Kika, dominating all her scenes as some force of nature, forever rattling her hilarious comments, even during her rape-ordeal. But at the same time Almodovar shows us her inner kindness and vulnerability and not to forget her outer beauty. I was not so impressed with Peter Coyote, as an American he seemed a strange choice for this utterly Spanish movie (he by the way speaks fluently Spanish and is certainly not dubbed, as another reviewer here unjustly claimed!). But Victoria Abril is, just like Forqué, irresistibly hilarious and beautiful, while Àlex Casanova, in a funny and endearing way, totally holds his own opposite these formidable ladies.
The cinematography excels in rich, over-saturated colors, costumes are by Versace and Gaultier (the latter did the truly stunning outfits of Victoria Abril), and the musical score is impressive; as in every other of Almodóvar's movies there are some beautiful songs scattered throughout the picture. There's a fair amount of graphic sex and sexual talk, it's essential and thus unavoidable for the story, but I guess it could offend some tenderhearted viewers.
In short, I totally loved it, it's in the same ranks as Almodóvar's "Women on the brink of a nervous breakdown" (1988) and "The flower of my secret" (1995), those as well as Kika are all greatly recommended.
Verónica Forqué is indefatigable as Kika, dominating all her scenes as some force of nature, forever rattling her hilarious comments, even during her rape-ordeal. But at the same time Almodovar shows us her inner kindness and vulnerability and not to forget her outer beauty. I was not so impressed with Peter Coyote, as an American he seemed a strange choice for this utterly Spanish movie (he by the way speaks fluently Spanish and is certainly not dubbed, as another reviewer here unjustly claimed!). But Victoria Abril is, just like Forqué, irresistibly hilarious and beautiful, while Àlex Casanova, in a funny and endearing way, totally holds his own opposite these formidable ladies.
The cinematography excels in rich, over-saturated colors, costumes are by Versace and Gaultier (the latter did the truly stunning outfits of Victoria Abril), and the musical score is impressive; as in every other of Almodóvar's movies there are some beautiful songs scattered throughout the picture. There's a fair amount of graphic sex and sexual talk, it's essential and thus unavoidable for the story, but I guess it could offend some tenderhearted viewers.
In short, I totally loved it, it's in the same ranks as Almodóvar's "Women on the brink of a nervous breakdown" (1988) and "The flower of my secret" (1995), those as well as Kika are all greatly recommended.