besherat And again me and the Spanish cinematography, Pedro Almodavar and his famous "Matador ". Excellent camera with a nice separate film frames, throughout the film holds special attention. Also, the soundtrack, tells the story perfectly. I especially remember the scene, when Mary stands on the bridge, where she saw the suicide and when she says, that this place is very attracted to her ,and keep her returning there. The story of the sick passions, obsessions with death, which even leads to a fascination with, the moment of eclipse in connection with the eclipse of the mind, a sense of guilt absent, Parapsychological phenomena ,prediction of events, the Oedipus complex, as it was Pedro masterfully arranged in "Matador". The film I really liked and left a strong impression on me. What to say that this film is really exceptional work of art.

johnnyboyz I liked the film Almodóvar made just prior to this a lot more; 1984's What Have I Done to Deserve This? was a far more involving, concentrated and reigned in effort about a group of women living in a cold; damp; greyed out; unwelcoming Madrid striving to get by amidst volatile living conditions and family members. It was witty, punchy and taut: a real treat. While I'd furiously champion that film if you're seeking out early Almodóvar, his 1986 effort Matador leaves a bad taste in the mouth; a wandering, sprawling freak show of a film documenting irritating; destructive and border-line psychotic people getting mixed up with one another in webs of "love" and "passion". It is nonsense of the highest order; a wandering, sprawling piece that treats an array of sensitive subjects in a grandeur and disrespectful manner. Maybe it's about the sorts of items the cinema of Spain had been mostly starved of over the decades prior to the 1980s due to strict censorship, but in truth; it's a relatively routine, drab thriller with a little bit of trashy sex sprinkled in, about a misogynist whom it's gradually revealed might be coming around to realise his ways as whom it is his eye catches goes through a routine process of idolising somebody a tad too much.The misogynist and idol in question is a certain Diego (Martínez), a trained matador who now teaches after a bit of an incident several years ago during a bullfight in which he was gored. He teaches young Ángel (Banderas), the lone interesting character of the film whose impetulance in being a youth sees him overreact and do something daft early on resulting in the film imprisoning him for most of the rest of it. This means we get to focus on Diego and a certain María (Serna) bickering; bantering and meeting at all sorts of odd times in odd places as lust and so fourth rages. Diego is a man that likes pain; derives pleasure from pain and particularly pain inflicted on women given how much he enjoys the horror film he watches at the beginning. This, before we cut to the same gentleman lecturing on how to skewer a bull to a class of matadors. Next scene, María is murdering a poor hapless chap by 'goring' him in her own unique way; a sharp hair pin into somewhere just thinking about sends shivers down my spine. This is what links them, you see – sadism attracts sadism; the longing for dangerous and powerful romantic interludes attracts the longing for dangerous and power........oh, you get the idea. María is a lawyer, and even turns out to be Ángel's attorney after he turns himself in for an attempted rape on neighbour Eva (Cobo), someone who just happens to be Diego's girlfriend.What begins as a slightly interesting and edgy drama about a number of colourful people interacting with each other on this plateau of suspicions and the questioning of one's identity quickly dissolves into bland Euro-centric dribble designed to shock and confuse, written and directed by a man on a then-brief vein of form that sees him ramble without consequence as the revelling in grotesque content comes across as that of the 'high-art'. Maybe to him and some others, to the rest, it's just juvenile. The film systematically uses Ángel to tap into Spain's problematic past and both Diego and María as tools documenting what everyone else in every other Western nation are "obsessed" with in their texts so as to provide some sort of closure on where Spain and its art (plus attitudes) might (or ought) be headed. The case study between the two romantic leads exemplified by the two graphic sex scenes María is involved in: grotty, greyed out and uncouth in a run down locale with a nobody earlier on, but in a lavish; colourful; exquisite; log-fire lit locale later on with Diego.Almodóvar has fun addressing the past in the character of Ángel, a young man that lives with his mother in a rather expensive home having had a Catholic upbringing, and we get the sense he's been kept as far away from any sort of temptations, however seemingly minute, as possible. This is touched upon in a sly moment when Almodóvar has him engage with Diego around a billiards table, Diego asking for a game to which Ángel does not even attempt to rise to simply by saying he "does not know how to play". It would seem pool houses, items such as gambling and the like have been in no way omnipresent throughout Ángel's life. Issues of sexuality are questioned – this representation of the more 'classical' young Spanish male then driven to go out so as to try and rape a girl; a neighbour, someone local, thus clearly establishing a sense of desperation or suddenness in the act, built up by anger. But incarcerating Ángel is Almodóvar's method of telling us he's dealt with that bit and now wants to focus on the scummy leads, systematically rendering Ángel's strand one of a detective driven nature as police officers struggle to work out what has driven this young man to do the things he says he has done. The film is remotely interesting at the best of times, off-the-wall; grotesque and rather stupid at the worst – culminating in a bizarre race against time borrowed from many-a past thriller rendering the entire experience a wholly unpleasant way to spend an hour and a half.

dfwforeignbuff Matador 1986 This late 80s film is the one which gave Almovodar wide exposure in the USA. The young Antonio Banderas plays a rather a deviant person with violent anti-social behavior issues rather than his usual stud role. As the title implies this is a blood red expose/drama/murder mystery concerning bullfighters & sex in the bedroom. A young ex-bullfighter who is getting turned on by killing & a lady lawyer with same problem then the 3rd character a young man driven insane by over-religious upbringing. These are the main characters in this stylish black comedy about dark sides of human nature. Almvodar is a really romantic & like emotional movies with complex plots. He knows movies are never more sensual or alive than when they venture into the forbidden territory & defy limits of plot set by most other films & screenwriters. The opening is shocking: A man sits in front of his TV masturbating to a montage of repulsive slasher-movie images playing on his VCR. Matador makes a zingy connection between the repressed passion of Catholicism (with its images of ecstatic suffering) & the obsessions of its lovers. Angel's mother, a member of the fanatical right-wing religious group Opus Dei. Matador isn't as complex as Law of Desire, & the characters aren't so much real figures as embodiments of psychological drives & impulses (almost to the point of absurdity). They represent places in the Almodovar's dream world. Still, the director & his screen-writing partner, Jesus Ferrero, paint them with great conviction The male leads of Matador (1986) & Law of Desire (1987) essentially switch places. Nacho Martinez, who plays the title character of Matador, takes the supporting role of Dr. Martin in Law of Desire. & Eusebio Poncela, who has the supporting role of police inspector in Matador, has the lead role of the film director in Law of Desire. Matador becomes in every way Surrealist Sex Comedy. The film gives huge amounts of spirited affronts to convention. 5 stars

KGB-Greece-Patras This 5th feature of Almodovar is one of his best (along with Labyrinth of passion & Kika) as far as I am concerned, and if not his best then for sure his most provocative flms. As usual, Almodovar explores some of the darkest sides of human sexuality, and deals with perversity as dealing with any every-day life subject. For once more, the notorious film-maker, at great shape, entertains with his trademark raving, hilarious, politically incorrect dialogs, pace and style and while dealing with dark (necrophilia) or serious (religious oppression) subject matters, it manages to be very funny and entertaining. What's great with Almodovar is that you simply CANNOT label his films. Is it comedy? nope. Is a thriller? nope. Is it a crime film? nope. This is Almodovar, so all pretenders go see another million dollar US product . But to all the admirers of unique and original films, this is definitely recommended, if you can tolerate with some weird humour, a bit sexy visuals and nudity and some violence. Matador is ART!