Femme Fatale (2002 film)

Written and directed by Brian de Palma, Femme Fatale is the story of a thief who double-crosses her accomplices and takes on a new identity where she marries an American ambassador while being hunted by those she double-crossed. The film is a suspense-thriller that involves the idea of identity and greed with a woman caught in the middle of this theft while going after the photographer that would get her in trouble. Starring Rebecca Romijn, Antonio Banderas, Peter Coyote, Rie Rasmussen, Thierry Fremont, and Gregg Henry. Femme Fatale is a ravishing yet thrilling film from Brian de Palma.

The film revolves around a thief who stole diamonds with a team only to double-cross them and disappear by taking on the identity of a doppelganger until a paparazzo takes her photo leading to all sorts of shit. It’s a film that play into a woman trying to leave her past behind only to return to France seven years after the theft under a different identity until a photograph would undo everything forcing her to take action and hide from the men she double-crossed. Brian de Palma’s screenplay focuses on the character of Laure Ashe who takes part in a diamond heist that is happening at the Cannes Film Festival where she steals the diamonds from a model she seduces and then goes into business for herself. Through a series of events where Laure had been seen by one of the thieves she betrayed, she is mistaken by a few people as another woman who had disappeared due to the deaths of her husband and child where she realizes that she has a woman who looks like her.

After taking her identity as Lily, Laure meets and marries a rich man who would later become the American ambassador to France where they travel to France seven years after the theft where a paparazzo named Nicolas Bardo (Antonio Banderas) would take her photo. One of her betrayers, who had been in prison for seven years for the theft, is freed and picked up by his partner as they see the photo and go on a search leading to Laure to try and get revenge on Bardo by making him a stalker and a kidnapper who wants a $10 million ransom. The script has de Palma play into this intrigue and battle of wits with Bardo becoming more curious about what Laure is doing unaware of her true identity and where he knew her from before.

The direction of de Palma is all style in terms of not just the compositions he creates but also the usage of intricate crane shots, split-screens, and scenes that last for more than a minute or two. Shot largely on location in Paris and various locations in France including the 2001 Cannes Film Festival where that location is where the jewel heist takes place. It’s a sequence where a lot is happening as a film premiere is happening where Laure would seduce the model while one of the thieves would switch a piece of diamond jewelry with a fake as it would be this mixture of sensuality and suspense. It’s an intricately rich sequence that would be followed by scenes that have a similar style to the shot of Laure being thrown from a hotel balcony and landing somewhere as she is mistaken for Lily. The scene of Laure seeing Lily where the latter is unaware of being watched has de Palma aim for something simple in the compositions with its medium shots and close-ups while he would employ wide shots for many of the scenes during the second act of the film.

The direction would have de Palma also create scenes that add some foreshadowing as well as intrigue as it relates to Bardo who becomes aware that he might be set up in an act of revenge yet he also is aware that he has very little choice. The film’s third act is one of not just intense sexuality and desire but also fantasy as it relates to Bardo being blackmailed by Laure in her scheme as she knows that time is running out. There is a twist to what de Palma does yet it is all about the decisions that Laure has made following her betrayal forcing her to wonder if there was a way to hide from her past. Overall, de Palma crafts a gripping and evocative film about a beautiful thief who double-crosses her team and tries to reinvent herself as another person only for her past to catch up with her.

Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast does brilliant work with the film’s ravishing cinematography in terms of its approach to lighting for the interiors at the Cannes Film Festival building along with its usage of stylish lighting for some of the daytime scenes as well as its dream-like look for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Bill Pankow does amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion cuts, split-screens, and other rhythmic cuts to help play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Anne Pritchard, with set decorator Francoise Benoit-Fresco and art director Denis Renault, does excellent work with the look of some of the sets including the women’s bathroom at the Cannes building, Bardo’s apartment, and the club that Bardo and Laure go to during its third act. Costume designer Olivier Beriot does fantastic work with the stylish clothes that Laure wears including the skimpy lingerie during the club scene along with the gold/diamond snake top that was designed by Elli Medeiros for the model to wear at Cannes.

Visual effects supervisor Agnes Sebenne does nice work with some of the visual effects that is largely set-dressing as well as some offbeat compositions that de Palma wanted where one person is in the foreground for a close-up with someone else in the background in a medium shot. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the locations as well as in the quieter moments of the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto is incredible for its lush string arrangements including its variations of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero in some parts of the film that is a major highlight while music supervisor Edouard Dubois provides a soundtrack that features a wide mix of score pieces from other films as well as a few contemporary pieces by Dead Fly Syndrome, Vicarious Bliss, and Damien Saez.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, and Suzanne Smith is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Cannes Film Festival curator Gilles Jacob, filmmaker Regis Wargnier who was presenting his film East/West, and its star Sandrine Bonnaire. Other notable small roles include Eriq Ebouaney and Edouard Montrouge as the two men Laure betrayed, Eva Darlan as a woman who mistakes Laure for Lily, Thierry Fremont as Inspector Serra who interrogates Bardo over a kidnapping claim, Rie Rasmussen as the model wearing the gold-diamond corset in Veronica, Gregg Henry as a security officer in Shiff who watches over Lily and her husband, and Peter Coyote as the man Laure as Lily would meet in Bruce Hewitt Watts who would later become the American ambassador to France.

Antonio Banderas is marvelous as Nicolas Bardo as a paparazzo who would get a picture of Laure unaware of her true identity as he becomes a figure of blackmail where he deals with Laure and her plans while becoming aroused by her. Finally, there’s Rebecca Romijn in an incredible performance in the dual role of the thief Laure Ash and her doppelganger Lily where she provides an anguish in the latter as a woman who has suffered great loss while is more cool and playful in the former but also cunning as it is Romijn proving that she’s more than just a beautiful woman but also someone that knows how to be cool.

Femme Fatale is a spectacular film from Brian de Palma that features great performances from Rebecca Romijn and Antonio Banderas. Along with its gorgeous visuals, riveting script, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s playful score, and study of identity and fate. The film is definitely one of de Palma’s finest films in terms of its love for cinema as well as its willingness to play with the conventions of suspense. In the end, Femme Fatale is a sensational film from Brian de Palma.

Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2019

Bitter Moon

Based on the novel Lunes de fiel (Evil Angels) by Pascal Bruckner, Bitter Moon is the story of a British couple on a honeymoon cruise ship in the Mediterranean where they meet a Frenchwoman and her American husband who tells the British man the story of their marriage. Directed by Roman Polanski and screenplay by Polanski, Gerard Brach, and John Brownjohn with screen story and contributions by Jeff Gross, the film is a study of marriage and desire where two men converse about passion and desire as well as the dangers that occur in a relationship. Starring Peter Coyote, Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Victor Banerjee. Bitter Moon is a wild yet exhilarating film from Roman Polanski.

Set mainly on a Mediterranean cruise ship towards Istanbul during the Christmas holiday, the film revolves around a British couple on their honeymoon as they meet a young Frenchwoman and her paralyzed American husband where the latter tells the British man the story of their love affair leading to all sorts of intrigue and attraction towards the Frenchwoman. It’s a film that is an exploration of passion in marriage where a man is fascinated yet shocked by the stories of this paraplegic whose wife is a beautiful yet troubled woman. The film’s screenplay by Roman Polanski, Gerard Bach, and John Brownjohn maintains a back-and-forth narrative where Oscar Benton (Peter Coyote) tells Nigel Dobson (Hugh Grant) the story of his marriage and relationship with Micheline “Mimi” Bouvier (Emmanuelle Seigner) from the moment they met to the time they got married after he had been paralyzed.

Much of the film has Benton tell Dobson this story as each act ends with Dobson telling his wife Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas) about what he’s heard as she is disgusted by the stories preferring to play bridge or chat with an Indian gentleman in Mr. Singh (Victor Banerjee) who is onboard with his daughter Amrita (Sophie Patel) whom Fiona is fascinated by. Dobson is reluctant to hear more of Benton’s story as it relates to his relationship with Mimi in Paris as the first act is about the sense of adventure and passion they had. The second act is about the disintegration of that relationship due to his lack of interest towards Mimi where he would humiliate her publicly as she changes her looks and becomes needy. The second act does meander due to tonal issues as it delves into dark comedy and drama with Dobson becoming confused but also aroused by Mimi in her activities on the cruise. Yet, it would lead to this third act that is about how Benton got paralyzed and the relationship with Mimi in its current state.

Polanski’s direction is definitely wild in terms of the activities that Benton and Mimi do as well as how they humiliate each other just to turn themselves on. Shot mainly in Paris as well on an actual cruise ship and on studio sets in Paris, the film does play into two different worlds from the claustrophobic feel of the interior cruise hallways to the more open yet chaotic world of Paris. Polanski would use a lot of wide and medium shots to play into the locations of Paris while emphasizing on the latter and close-ups for the scenes at Benton’s apartment where he and Mimi would engage in ideas of sadomasochism and other sexual activity to express their passion for each other where it starts off with an air of innocence. Notably in a moment that plays into this innocence and passion for love is shown during a scene at a skydiver ride where they reach their hands as if there’s an element of fantasy. There’s a liveliness in the way Polanski play into the idea of sadomasochism and bondage where it is innocent until the second act where Benton becomes mean towards Mimi.

The scenes on the cruise ship are more constrained due to its claustrophobic tone in the rooms and interior hallways yet does have a sense of calm on the decks and at the main hall for meals and at the climatic New Year’s Eve party. Despite some of the tonal issues in the film’s second act, Polanski does maintain that air of intrigue and dark humor that play into Benton’s desire to humiliate Mimi at social gatherings and such. Polanski would also play into this intrigue as it relates to Dobson who finds himself attracted to Mimi but doesn’t want his wife to know while he’s unsure if Mimi and Benton are playing him or want him for something. The New Year’s Eve party scene is where some big surprises occur but also play into the fallacies of temptation and desire along with the dark aspects of relationship forcing Dobson to deal with himself and his own marriage to Fiona. Overall, Polanski crafts a provocative and intense film about a man’s infatuation with a woman through the stories told by her paraplegic husband.

Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with the way the exteriors of the cruise ship are shown during the evening as well as the exteriors in Paris along with the look of the Parisian nightclubs that Benton and Mimi go to. Editor Herve de Luze does excellent work with editing as it has elements of style in the montages and dissolves along with rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Willy Holt and Gerard Viard do brilliant work with the look of the interiors of the cruise hallways, cabins, dining halls, and ballrooms as well as the look of Benton’s apartment in Paris.

Costume designer Jackie Budin does fantastic work with the costumes in the stylish clothes that Mimi wears including the colorful sweaters, sneakers, and other casual clothes to some of the wild and skimpy dresses along with the S&M stuff. The sound work of Daniel Brisseau is superb for the atmosphere of the cruise ship with sounds of water heard in the background as well as how music is heard in some scenes including some of the noises that happen for the scenes in Paris. The film’s music by Vangelis is incredible for its usage of orchestral and piano-based music to play into the drama and suspense with rich string arrangements and textures that add to story while the film’s soundtrack is a mixture of music ranging from artists/acts like Peggy Lee, the Eurythmics, George Michael, Sam Brown, the Communards, Gloria Gaynor, and covers of songs by Bryan Ferry, Stevie Wonder, and Lionel Richie that are performed in the film’s climatic New Year’s Eve party.

The casting by Francoise Menidrey, Mary Selway, and Bonnie Timmermann is marvelous as it include some notable small roles from Sophie Patel as Mr. Singh’s daughter Amitra, Olivia Brunaux as Mimi’s roommate Cindy, Boris Bergman as a friend of Oscar who often goes clubbing with him, Luca Vellani as an Italian cruise passenger who tries to flirt with Fiona when he took over for Dobson during a game of bridge, and Stockard Channing in a terrific yet un-credited cameo as Benton’s agent Beverly who is trying to get Benton to come back to New York City. Victor Banerjee is superb as Mr. Singh as an Indian gentleman traveling to Istanbul as he befriends to the Dobsons while representing someone who can show the Dobsons another way of life that is more fulfilling than what the Bentons offer. Kristin Scott Thomas is fantastic as Fiona Dobson as a woman who is trying to enjoy her vacation as she becomes concerned about Nigel’s fascination towards the Bentons as she becomes disgusted by his attraction to Mimi prompting her to show that she can be just as wild.

Hugh Grant is excellent as Nigel Dobson as a British man who is intrigued by Benton’s story as he tries to make sense of what is happening while wondering if he’s being played as he provides some humor as well as a humility in the film’s third act where he awkwardly tries to woo Mimi. Peter Coyote is brilliant as Oscar Benton as an American writer living in Paris who falls for Mimi as she represents everything he wants in a woman only to get bored and later succumb to paralysis as he tells Nigel his story with an air of discontent as it’s a slimy yet playful performance from Coyote. Finally, there’s Emmanuelle Seigner in a spectacular performance as Micheline “Mimi” Bouvier-Benton as a young woman who aspires to be a dancer as she falls for Oscar only to become desperate to please him to the point of great humiliation and later rebellion and unhappiness as it’s a performance filled with energy and danger that isn’t seen often in films.

Bitter Moon is a phenomenal film from Roman Polanski. Featuring a great ensemble cast, compelling themes of passion and desire through sex and humiliation, gorgeous visuals, a chilling setting, and a killer music soundtrack. The film is definitely an off-kilter yet intriguing suspense-drama that play into the ideas of passion and some of the fallacies that occur prompting another couple to raise questions about their own marriage. In the end, Bitter Moon is a sensational film from Roman Polanski.

Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac – The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) – Chinatown - The Tenant – Tess (1979 film) - (Pirates) – Frantic - Death and the Maiden – The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) – (Based on a True Story) – (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)

© thevoid99 2018

Erin Brockovich

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant, Erin Brockovich is the story of an unemployed single mother who works for a lawyer as she helps fight against a gas company for people who had been hurt by them. Based on the real life about the woman of the same name, it’s an unconventional bio-pic that has a woman trying to help people by using her sex appeal and street smarts as she’s played by Julia Roberts. Also starring Aaron Eckhart, Albert Finney, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walters, and Peter Coyote. Erin Brockovich is a sassy and phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film is about this unemployed woman who has three children from two ex-husbands as she gets a job working for the lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney) who was handling her injuries claim case which they lost. In her job, Erin Brockovich learns about a real-estate files case that Masry had been working on as she makes some chilling discoveries about the Pacific Gas and Electric Company whose water was contaminated and many of the people in the small town of Hinkley, California were struck with a myriad of illnesses. In turn, it’s a film where this very unlikely woman and a small-time lawyer with a private firm go against a massive billion dollar corporation to help a bunch of people in a small town who had been conned by this corporation. What makes the film much more unique than it actually is its protagonist as she is this single mother of three kids who wears skimpy clothes and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Susannah Grant’s screenplay is unconventional at times but also very engaging for the way it presents Brockovich as this no-nonsense woman who is just trying to get work to raise her three kids as she has very little money in her bank account and little experience with anything. While she dresses in skimpy clothes that often shows her cleavage and has this sassy attitude, she is perceived as this unintelligent and trashy woman who gets by with having sex with men and such. Instead, Brockovich uses her sex appeal to dig deep into her discoveries where she impresses Masry. While the job gives her some respect from Masry, co-workers, and the people she talks to about what they’re dealing. She tries to balance that with being a mom as she gains the help and companionship of her new neighbor in a biker named George (Aaron Eckhart) who would struggle with her long working hours as does her kids yet they come around to see what she’s doing as she sometimes takes them for the ride.

Brockovich’s relationship with Masry is also unique as they become this unlikely duo where Brockovich is the one talking to the people and gathering all sorts of information as she was willing to get her hands dirty. Especially as she would get Masry to be more accessible to the people where he does have a scene at a community center talking to them about what is going to happen with this lawsuit the town has filed. It’s a moment where Brockovich watches in the back as she lets Masry let his guard down a bit so he can become someone the people can trust despite some of legal bullshit he has to handle. Even as Brockovich and Masry also have to rely on a more prestigious legal firm to help in the case where the two don’t get treated with much respect by their new partners.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is pretty simple in some respects as he doesn’t go for anything flashy in some of the compositions he creates. Still, there are moments that has him creating a film that is a mixture of a comedy and drama while finding a balance to mesh the two genres. Even as he plays to the comedy in an offbeat way where he’s not afraid to use sexuality to drive the story though there’s no nudity that occurs in the film. It’s not overt but enough to bring some energy to the film while Soderbergh also creates moments such as how Brockovich is able to engage the people with just her charm as she’s just wearing regular clothes while a law assistant is struggling to connect with them as she’s just talking about all sorts of legal bullshit the people don’t really understand.

Much of the film is shot in Ventura, California with some of it shot in Los Angeles where Soderbergh uses the deserts and small-town locations to create something that makes it more than just a film in California. He gives the idea that something like this could be set in any small American town as the people themselves are just good folk who want to hear the truth and why they’ve been sick. His use of medium shots, close-ups, and wide shots give Soderbergh an atmosphere to help tell the story and engage the audience into these characters in the film. Especially as he would maintain that sense of drama and the stakes that is happening so that audiences can root for Brockovich and Masry to see if they can beat the Goliath that is the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very rich and entertaining film about a woman who helps the people fight against a corporation.

Cinematographer Edward Lachman does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography by playing up the sunny look of California with its rich interior lighting schemes in the daytime while going for more stylish lights for the scenes at night. Editor Anne V. Coates does excellent work with the editing as she infuses some style such as jump-cuts to play with some of the film‘s humor and drama that adds to the unconventional tone of the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Christa Munro, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of Masry‘s office firm as well as Brockovich‘s home to play into their two different personalities.

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does nice work with the costumes from the skimpy clothing that Brockovich wears to the biker look of George. Sound editor Larry Blake does terrific work with the sound to play into some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the calmness of some of the locations in Ventura, California. The film’s music by Thomas Newman is fantastic for its score that is largely driven by keyboards and orchestral pieces that is upbeat at times but also eerie and somber while music supervisor Amanda Scheer-Demme brings in a soundtrack that features some low-key ambient music, bluegrass, and a couple of songs by Sheryl Crow.

The casting by Margery Simkin is incredible for the ensemble that is created for the film as it features cameos from the real Erin Brockovich as a waitress and Ed Masry as a diner patron along with small roles from Scotty Leavenworth and Gemmenne de la Pena as two of Brockovich’s older children, Emily and Julie Marks and Ashley and Brittany Pimental as the youngest of Brockovich’s children as it’s a baby in two different ages. Other small yet notable performances include Gina Gallego as a PG&E attorney, Veanne Cox as a paralegal who tries to do Brockovich’s job, T.J. Thyne as a waters department employee who is charmed by Brockovich, Conchata Ferrell as Masry’s secretary Brenda, and Peter Coyote as a top attorney who teams with Masry on the case yet has no clue in how Masry and Brockovich do their work.

Tracey Walter is terrific as a mysterious Hinkley local who attends the town meetings as he is suspicious of what Brockovich is doing while Cherry Jones is wonderful as another local who is wary about what Brockovich is doing as she thinks that no money will come from this case. Marg Helgenberger is superb as a Hinkley local who becomes the first person Brockovich talks to as she deals with her declining health and what her family might deal with. Aaron Eckhart is excellent as Brockovich’s neighbor George as this very nice biker who helps out by taking care of Brockovich’s children while dealing with her workload as he understands what she’s trying to do.

Albert Finney is brilliant as Ed Masry as this old-school and well-meaning attorney who reluctantly hires Brockovich to be in his firm while becoming aware of what he might go up against realizing the risks of what he might lose. It’s a performance where Finney plays the straight man for Roberts as well as bringing a complexity and accessibility into his role as a lawyer who often doesn’t connect with his clients on a personal level. Finally, there’s Julia Roberts in an outstanding performance as the titular character where it’s Roberts at her most brash and charming where she isn’t afraid to get a little dirty and be overtly sexual at times. It’s a performance that really has Roberts going all-out while also proving to be pretty sensitive where she has her characters listen to other people as it’s definitely Roberts at her best.

Erin Brockovich is a remarkable film from Steven Soderbergh that features a fantastic performance from Julia Roberts in the titular role. Along with some amazing supporting work from Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart, the film is definitely one of Soderbergh’s finest films as well as one of his most accessible. Even as he creates a character as captivating as Brockovich that allows the audience to be engaged by her. In the end, Erin Brockovich is a spectacular film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven (2001 film) - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-The Equlibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2014

Kika

Originally Written & Posted at Epinions.com on 6/14/07 w/ Additional Edits.

After 1988's international breakthrough for Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar has finally achieved the international attention he had sought for. After the film's success, Almodovar moved forward where he fell-out with longtime collaborator and actress Carmen Maura and worked with another up-and-coming young actress in Victoria Abril. Their first collaboration was 1990's highly controversial !Atame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) that also starred Antonio Banderas in his last collaboration with the director for more than 20 years. The film received mixed reviews as his 1991 follow-up Tacones Lejanos (High Heels) with Abril that showed Almodovar experimenting with genres. In 1993, Almodovar teamed Abril again for their third and final collaboration with a media satire entitled Kika.

Written and directed by Almodovar, Kika tells the story of a makeup artist whose misadventures are followed by a TV news reporter for sensationalism. One of those misadventures involves the young woman's relationship with an expatriated American writer and his step-son as controversy arises. A critique over media sensationalism and such, Almodovar reveals his unique brand of humor and satire. Also starring Peter Coyote, Alex Casanovas, Rossy de Palma, Almodovar's mother Francisca Caballero, and Veronica Forque as the title character. Kika is a funny, whimsical comedy from Pedro Almodovar.

Ramon (Alex Casanovas) is a lingerie photographer who is moody at times, while would have near-fatal heart attacks in moments of shock. Upon returning home, Ramon has learned his mother (Charo Lopez) has killed herself with his American stepfather Nicholas (Peter Coyote) wounded by a gunshot in his arm. A year later, despondent over his mother's death, Ramon dies as Nicholas calls an aloof, naive make-up artist named Kika to help with the makeup on Ramon. All of a sudden, Ramon is woken up as he falls for Kika. Two years later, Ramon and Kika are officially a couple as Ramon hopes to sell his late mother's home with the help of Nicholas who had just arrived from a trip. Living with Kika's maid Juana (Rossy de Palma), Nicholas lived upstairs in the apartment building that the two live while Ramon moves downstairs with Kika.

Ramon's former psychiatrist Andrea (Victoria Abril) is now a TV host for a sensational show on violence and other acts while she wears extravagant clothing by Jean-Paul Gaultier. One of the reports involved a porno star named Paul Bazzo (Santiago Lajusticia), who is mentally ill and has just escaped from jail. Learning that Ramon is learning is selling his mother's home, Andrea talks to Nicholas about renting it for her show as Ramon learns of Andrea's appearance and is upset about it. Andrea sets Nicholas up on a date with a Mexican woman (Bibi Andersen) while he's having a secret affair with Kika and her friend Amparo (Anabel Alonso). Though Kika loves Ramon, she is struggling with the failing affair with Nicholas. Even as suspicion arises over the death of his wife and such. Nicholas' blind date hasn't gone well as Andrea wonders what happened.

Juana, who watches Andreas' show, receives an unlikely visit from Paul Bazzo who is hoping to steal things from Kika's home. After tying up Juana and knocking her unconscious, he finds Kika asleep. Suddenly, a rape ensues as it's caught by a voyeur who calls a couple of clumsy policemen. The policemen don't really help things out as they try to pull Paul away from Kika. Arriving onto the scene wearing her camera-costume is Andrea as all hell breaks loose. Andrea wants to do an interview with Kika over what happened as she is publicly humiliated. Even when Andrea shows footage of the rape from the anonymous voyeur. Ramon learned what happened as more revelations over the incident happened. Angry over Ramon's lack of usefulness and Nicholas' philandering, Kika and Juana leave the apartment.

Andrea meanwhile, wants to contact Nicholas as she learns something about him with footage uncovered from his date with the Mexican woman. Truths come out in which, Kika finds herself in the middle of mystery gone horribly wrong.

Given the idea of media sensationalism in the early 90s, Almodovar definitely revealed a lot of the exploitive nature of sensationalism from the hand-held cameras that show incidents and such in order to gain ratings. Yet, that's not what the film is about. What Almodovar is saying is that the film is about a woman who finds herself in the middle of sensational world of media whether it's TV in the form of Andrea or literature in the form of Nicholas. There's these two people in Andrea and Nicholas who are willing to do anything to create some attention whether to gain ratings or sell books, respectively. There's definitely a cynicism and anger Almodovar has towards these types of media while the person who is always the victim is the one who is used for any type of creativity.

While Almodovar's script and direction is filled with a lot of humor and whimsical scenes, even the rape scene is done with a lot of humor. Yet, shock is what Almodovar goes for. What doesn't work is that the script does feel uneven in its bending of genres whether it's comedy, drama, or mystery. The film, towards the end, even goes to the point where it acts like a crime film. The script plus, Almodovar's direction kind of fails in what type of film it wants to be. Still, it's humor and shock does make it the type of film that is expected from Almodovar.

Cinematographer Alfredo Mayo creates some wonderfully, colorful images in the film. Especially on the location of Madrid and parts of Spain while the video-camera work is pretty grainy to emphasis the look of sensationalism. Set decorators Alain Bainee and Javier Fernandez create wonderful look to the film's colorful sets like the apartment of Ramon and some of the night sets of Madrid. Costume designer Jose Maria De Cossio creates some wonderful, elaborate costumes for some of the film's cast that includes some additional work from the late Gianni Versace. One of the greatest highlights of the costumes are the clothes Jean-Paul Gaultier made for Victoria Abril that are extravagant and over-the-top. Longtime editor Jose Salcedo does some fine editing although it falters at first in the film's first act due to pacing issues.

Sound editor Jean-Paul Miguel does great work on the film's sound to create the suspense and such. The film's soundtrack features a wide mix of pop music and a lot of score music from Bernard Herrmann to create the suspense of mystery along with its dashes of humor. Along with a cut by Kurt Weill, the film's soundtrack is memorable for its whimsical tone.

The cast features some memorable small performances from Bibi Andersen, Charo Lopez, Anabel Alonso, and Pedro Almodovar's mother Francisca Caballero as a TV host whose failed eyesight causes problems during an interview with Nicholas. Jesus Bonilla and Karra Elejade are good as the clumsy, lazy policeman who find themselves a bit overwhelmed during an act of crime. Santiago Lajusticia is excellent as the mentally-ill, porno star Paul Bazzo who hides a secret while committing an act of rape due to his time in jail. Rossy de Palma is good as Kika's loyal maid Juana who hides her own secrets and reasons into why she's a lesbian. Alex Casanovas is wonderful as the melancholic Ramon, who still mourns the death of his mother, while having a strange thing for photographing himself and Kika having sex. It's a fine performance from the young actor.

American actor Peter Coyote is good in his role as Nicholas though his voice is largely dubbed by another Spanish actor. Coyote definitely brings a complex, shady performance as a writer who finds himself short on money and having to do TV writing work for Andrea. It's a fine yet flawed performance from the actor. Victoria Abril gives a hilarious performance as Andrea Scarface, a TV reporter who is willing to go into any lengths to get her story. Even if she has to wear a robotic-like equipment with lights for a bra and a camera on her head. It's a hilarious performance from the Spanish superstar. Veronica Forque is pretty funny as the naive, aloof titular character of Kika. Forque's performance is winning with a charming, kooky personality that is a joy to watch though she is dumb. Yet, Forque makes the audience care for her in the struggles she goes through.

While it's nowhere near the brilliance of earlier films like Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios or recent classics like Todo Sobre Mi Madre, Hable con Ella, and 2006's Volver. Kika is still an entertaining and fun film from Pedro Almodovar. Despite a wonderful cast, colorful images and sets, flashy costumes, and a great soundtrack. It's a film that represents Almodovar in style over substance. Fans of the director will might consider this as minor work though it does have it's moment. The film is still Almodovar in his extravagance. In the end, Kika despite its flaws is a joy to watch.

Pedro Almodovar Films: Pepi, Luci, Bom - Labyrinth of Passion - Dark Habits - What Have I Done to Deserve This? - Matador - Law of Desire - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! - High Heels - The Flower of My Secret - Live Flesh - All About My Mother - Talk to Her - Bad Education - Volver - Broken Embraces - The Skin I Live In - I'm So Excited! - Julieta - Pain & Glory - (The Human Voice (2020 short film)) - (Parallel Mothers)

The Auteurs #37: Pedro Almodovar Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011