Dvd/150: LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (Broken Embraces) (Pedro Almodóvar, 2009)

Almodóvar's 17th film is a multi-layered tale of love, loss and film-making; it also continues his collaboration with Penelope Cruz as well as featuring cameos by his favourite acresses.

Former film director Mateo was blinded in a car crash 14 years ago and now lives as a writer under the name 'Harry Caine'; he is cared for by his agent Judit and her son Diego.

As Mateo cares for Diego after an accidental drug overdose, he learns that the tycoon Ernesto Martel has died; it allows Mateo to tell Diego of the events in the 1990s that involved him, Judit, Martel and Martel's mistress Lena who became Mateo's secret lover when he cast her in his latest film, events that ended with the crash which blinded him and killed Lena.

Penélope Cruz is radiant and touching as Lena, adored by Mateo, Ernesto - and, ultimately, by Pedro's camera  too.

Shelf or charity shop?  It's a keeper for Almodóvar's rhapsodic film-making, Alberto Iglesias' score with it's Bernard Herrman overtones and the performances of Lluís Homar as Mateo, Blanca Portillo as Judit, José Luis Gómez as Ernestro, and the delightful previous 'Pedronista's Lola Duenas, Angela Molina, Rossy de Palma, Chus Lampreave and Kiti Mánver.

Dvd/150: VOLVER (Pedro Almodóvar, 2006)

VOLVER glows with warmth and colour thanks to six phenomenal actresses who jointly won the Best Actress Award at Cannes.  'Volver' means 'to return' and here Almodóvar returns to Carmen Maura, the subject of mothers and daughters and the need for ghosts.. 

Sisters Raimunda and Sole regularly visit their La Mancha birthplace to tend their parent's grave who died in a fire three years previously and visit their frail aunt Paula, but she tells them their mother Irene's ghost is there looking after her.

Back in Madrid, Raimunda's daughter stabs her father when he attempts rape. Raimunda hides his body in the freezer of an empty restaurant that she has access to, later opening the restaurant to make extra cash. 

Sole attends Aunt Paula's funeral only to discover Irene's ghost is in the house; imagine her shock when she returns to Madrid and discovers Irene hidden in her car boot...

Shelf or charity shop?  An absolute keeper - Almodóvar's excellent cinematic storytelling deftly moves from supernatural family drama through comedy to a genuinely profound meditation on love, loss and the power of forgiveness.  The film is dominated by three remarkable performances: Penélope Cruz is luminous as Raimunda, Carmen Maura is glorious as Irene and Blanca Portillo is heartbreaking as the secretive, grieving village neighbour Agustina; there is wonderful support from Lola Duenas as Sole, Yohana Cobo as Raimona's daughter Paula and the wonderful Chus Lampreave who steals her one scene as frail Aunt Paula.  A special mention to Alberto Iglesias' excellent score.

DVD/150: LA FLOR DE MI SECRETO (The Flower of My Secret) (Pedro Almodóvar, 1995)

LA FLOR DE MI SECRETO is from Pedro's transitional 1990s period of making films with deeper emotional resonance than those that brought him fame the previous decade, with a stronger cinematic language and more rounded characters.

Magnificent Marisa Paredes is Leo, whose obsession for her absent - physically and emotionally - army husband Paco is driving her to alcoholic despair.  Leo ghostwrites successful romance novels but cannot deliver the vacuous fodder her publisher wants as her writing is reflecting her anguish.

They reject Leo's latest novel and threaten to expose her as the real 'Amanda Gris' if she does not fulfill her contract, but Leo, who wants to write serious literature, is helped when a sympathetic magazine editor Ángel offers her a job as a literary critic.

Leo breaks down when Paco finally rejects her, but her publishers are thrilled with the 'Amanda Gris' novel they have received - but who wrote it?

Shelf or charity shop?  The ravishingly-photographed LA FLOR DE MI SECRETO surprises me every time I watch it with Marisa Paredes' wonderful performance and supporting contributions from Juan Echanove as Ángel, Imanol Arias as Paco, Rossy de Palma and Chus Lampreave so it's a keeper - Almodóvar even manages to sneak flamenco sensation Joaquín Cortés into the film in a sub-plot!

DVD/150: MATADOR (Pedro Almodóvar, 1986)

Diego is a former matador who runs a bullfighter academy; one of his pupils is insecure Ángel, who sees visions and faints if he sees blood.  Dominated by his pious mother, he attempts to rape Eva, a neighbour who is also Diego's lover. 

Ángel confesses to the police but the detective is intrigued when he confesses to unsolved murders of naked men stabbed in the neck, as well as two missing female pupils from Diego's school.  Lawyer Maria takes up Ángel's defence - but in Hichcockian fashion, we know she is the murderer, and she wants Diego... who is also obsessed with deadly sex.

Almodóvar's film glows with colour even as the mood darkens, Nacho Martinez and Assumpta Serna are a memorable deadly couple while Antonio Banderas shines as Ángel; excellent support from Eusebio Poncela and Pedro alumni Carmen Maura, Chus Lampreave, Julieta Serrano, Veronica Forqué and trans actress Bibi Andersen.

Shelf or charity shop?  Apart from everything else, it's worth keeping for the Assumpta Serna's 80s power-dressing  wardrobe.. Shelf!!

DVD/150: QUE HE HECHO YO PARA MERECER ESTO!! (What Have I Done To Deserve This!!) (Pedro Almodóvar, 1984)

Almodóvar's previous scattergun approach is still evident - a telekinetic child! - but here he discovered a more consistent tone.

Overworked cleaner Gloria struggles with money and living in a cramped Madrid flat with her controlling husband Antonio, eccentric mother-in-law and two sons: one a teenage pusher, one a pedo-magnet.

Gloria's solace are painkillers and her friendly prostitute neighbour Cristal.  Cabbie Antonio picks up an author and reveals he faked letters from Hitler for a book a girlfriend wrote, which provokes the writer to contact her to persuade Antonio to do the same for him.

Her call provokes an argument and after Antonio hits her, Gloria retaliates with a hambone to his head... now Gloria has to cope with a dead husband in her kitchen!

Carmen Maura is magnificent as Gloria with fine performances throughout, especially Chus Lampreave as her mother-in-law and Verónica Forqué as bubbly Cristal.

Shelf or charity shop?  A definite keeper... 

Dvd/150: ENTRE TINIEBLAS (DARK HABITS, Pedro Almodóvar, 1983)

Almodóvar's third film was made with proper film company funding which shows in the look of the film: finally Pedro finds a visual language and, although set in a convent, his use of shadows and colour make it a visual pleasure.

DARK HABITS is hampered by the dull central performance of Cristina Sánchez Pascual.  Pascual, while fine in a supporting role in LABYRINTH OF PASSION, was the film company boss' lover and her involvement was non-negotiable.

Luckily, Pedro surrounds her with sublime actresses who became his Almodóvar regulars.

Julieta Serrano is wonderful as the drug-taking, lesbian Mother Superior who gives sanctuary to singer Pascual who is implicated in her lover's death; Serano turns a cartoon character into a piercing study of lonely despair.

Memorable too are three zany nuns - masochistic Marisa Paredes, Carmen Maura (playing bongos to her pet tiger!), secret novelist Chus Lampreave - and Cecilia Roth too.

Shelf or charity shop? Despite Pascual's charisma bypass, Sisters Julieta, Carmen, Marisa and Chus make it a keeper...