Viva Pedro: The Almodovar Collection (Talk to Her/ Bad Education/ All about My Mother/ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown/ Live Flesh/ Flower of My Secret / Matador / Law of Desire) [DVD]

A pretty good collection, if strangely inclusive of BAD EDUCATION, a recent film, with the older batch of films, mainly of 1980s. This could be because LAW OF DESIRE's film director character is a forerunner of the film director in the later film. The problem is in reviewing the collection or the individual films. For instance, there are 3 documentaries on the filmmaker included on an extra disk. Otherwise the movies are presented w/English subtitle options but no extras, except for one of them.Almodovar's style as a whole is for wildly improbable plots involving situations and characters that run of the mill people would never experience. American film reviewers love this, as they love French farce, and so give these films a free pass, awarding a blue ribbon. The true question is whether the same films would be as highly reviewed if the identical screenplay were presented as a solely American product.Almodovar's film staples include (on the 8 films represented in this package): (1) Penelope Cruz going into labor (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER; LIVE FLESH). (2) The homely guy is always slick, a real winner, at least professionally, and sometimes a film director (BAD EDUCATION; LAW OF DESIRE). (3) There's always strained theatrical moments, such as presentations of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, that take up much screen time, and often are comical without being meant to be. Ditto a usage of older films that his characters seem to be greatly influenced by. (4) The cute guy, who in real life would probably be greatly sought after as a romantic partner, is always a loser who becomes obsessed with another person or thing to the detriment of everything else (LIVE FLESH; LAW OF DESIRE; BAD EDUCATION). (5) Usage of FF nudity is primarily male. (6) Everyone in the world (or at least Spain) is personally acquainted with a transexual or transvestite.Briefly, on the films themselves, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER is a tear-jerker that goes to extremes and unfortunately goes on way too long. Good acting, but improbable characters and their life histories make this film an experience to endure.BAD EDUCATION has the superlative Gael Garcia Bernal in it, and is also a blatant indictment of the Catholic Church's methods. The twists and turns in the plot make it worthwhile as well as uniformly good performances. Unusual film from this director, who usually focusses more on the women. For those squeamish of homosexual content, this film is not nearly as explicit as LAW OF DESIRE.LAW OF DESIRE has the young Antonio Banderas seducing/seduced by a film director whom he is obsessed with. There is FF nudity from Banderas and others. Rather interesting, not quite a thriller, but an ending that brings the story-line full circle in a way. Rather a moral on how what you're looking for may be staring you in the face but you have to be prepared to take it. I found the plot weak whenever it got into the ancillary characters, as they were unnecessary to the main plot but presumably there to soften the main character of the film director.LIVE FLESH is an unbelievable situation of a young man from prison subsequently having affairs with two police officers' (one of whom he'd shot and crippled) wives. Unfortunately this plot was wholly predictable though improbable. Too many cliches of drunken criminal cop abusing wife, etc. At times seems it was meant to be a music video, and should have been, with pop songs used as narrative.TALK TO HER, generally considered one of the more popular Almodovar films, and a quiet, sincere character piece. I could easily have lived without the scene of the shrunken man interacting with a woman's nude body; that was outrageous for the fun of it, I guess. But from what appeared to be a would-be homosexual union between two men veered in another direction that also made the ending quite believable. It set up cliches only to knock them down.WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN has provided me an obsession with gazpacho that has haunted me to this day. I didn't watch it again via this collection, but realized I have no memories of the film from first seeing it, except that it was fun; so that tells me nothing of the plot is essential, and I probably didn't identify with the characters.THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET is weird, as it takes off from the scenario of ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, which isn't a good thing. It's about a writer's crisis, this time her own self-conceit being played out on a public stage, as she is both a well known author but also writes under a pseudonyn attacking her own work. Meanwhile, her marriage is falling apart. So she's really a woman having an identity crisis, as an artist, and as a woman. Maybe it takes a person who's undergone an identity crisis to understand this one.MATADOR can be summed as "Can two serial killers find happiness in death with each other?" Add Banderas as a sexually confused young man who appears to have occasional perfect-radar psychic abilities and a young woman who's been sexually assaulted three times and is quite casual about it, and a closeted gay detective, and a psychiatrist who wants to seduce basically anybody, and you pretty much have a would-be psychology thriller very confused about what's going on. The film has the confusion one would expect from a wholly improvisational piece, like the director was making it up as they went along in the filming. I am blinded by the idea any of these characters would even exist in real life, except for the detective, so find it amazing they'd actually be stumbling into each other's orbit. A fun movie to spend some time on, as it is an entertaining mix of psychological motivations and I guess you can breathe easy nobody like this lives on your block.

When buying something used you expect a certain amount of wear and tear and are OK with whatever that may show itself as. But I’ll be! This set if it was viewed even once I’d be surprised. Even the box itself as well as inserts showed no signs of wear at all. The movies we all know and love. No reviews necessary for them. The condition of the set was stellar and it needs to be acknowledged. Awesome job in preserving this amazing set. I’m truly looking forward to my next purchase from this vendor. Again awesome job! Many thanks!

A cinema-fanatical friend of mine turned me onto the works of Almodovar in the late 80s. I began with movies like "Law of Desire", "Matador",etc. his films were immediately addictive and it began my near two decade fascination with his body of work. I had owned only Super VHS ('member that videophile format?) copies of the aforementioned early titles. So to finally have them on DVD has been a wonder. My favorite Almodovar film may well be "Mala Educacion" possibly tied with "Talk to Her" and "All About My Mother". The early films turned me onto the best work that Antonio Banderas has done to date. Almodovar and Banderas is a perfect union. So to see them reunited in the new, recent "The Skin I Live In" which I now have on order once it is released on Blu-ray in a few weeks. Possibly the oddest Almodovar film to date is 1997's "Live Flesh". A launching pad for such Spanish treasures as Banderas and Penelope Cruz, I would love to see Almodovar featured all three of his protégés in one one movie.But until then, this Almodovar DVD boxset is something I treasure. For like the title of his most recent opus, "The Skin I Live In"........Almodovar seems to know how to peel layers away from the 'skin I live in' with his provocative, dark at times but colorful just the same celebrating life in Espana despues de Franco.(For completist, which I am, it is missing "Kika").

Obviously anyone with more than a passing interest in Almodovar will want this set, which averages out to a pretty decent price considering what you get. Good news first: Matador and Law of Desire, the two new-to-DVD titles, look excellent (especially the latter), and are practically worth picking up the set for by themselves. (Too bad Sony couldn't have released 'em separately; oh well.) Bad Education, Flower of My Secret, Live Flesh and Talk to Her are identical to the previous releases. The back of the box touts new digital remastering for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and All About My Mother, but both of those are botched pretty badly. Women frankly looks terrible, especially compared to the previous MGM release; it's severely overcropped on all four sides (good luck trying to read the credits) and way too bright, with artificial sharpness and serious desaturation on the colors. All About My Mother does look a bit cleaner and crisper than the previous release, but it's bare bones; hold on to the older Sony release for all the extra goodies. The box is very attractive and comes with postcard replicas of the theatrical posters -- a nice touch. The bonus disc features some decent featurettes with various actors talking about working with Pedro; unfortunately, only the trailer for Volver is included as an additional bonus.

don't love every film in this collection. Almodovar is too brave and experimental for every one of his films to appeal equally to all but the most devoted fans. If you like his early, wild, anything-to-break-convention work, you may find his later work too mild or conventional. If, like me, you find those later films deeply moving and appreciate their more mature tone, you may not be as thrilled by the early work, finding it full of guts, but lacking a bit of heart.But having these films altogether is a wonderful look into the extremely diverse work of one of the bravest and most interesting film makers of our generation. Even the films I don't deeply love personally are full of unforgettable images, moments, pieces of acting or writing. In a world of film that often aims for the middle, Almodovar shoots for the stars, and that's worth seeing whether you personally think an individual film gets there or not.Even now, out of print, and overpriced for the occasional used copy, this set is also a good deal. To get these 8 films seperately is going to cost you at least $80 or $90 with shipping, and some - like 'Live Flesh' - are currently out of print and overpriced themselves anyway.Also, a couple of these discs - 'All About My Mother' and 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' are in upgraded form -- although there is some argument whether the upgrades are for the better. DVD Beaver, which I find the most in depth DVD review site concludes the versions in the set ARE superior, and provide side by side images for comparison.While everyone will (and should) have very individual reactions to these complex, challenging (if often fun) films, here's my order of preference and my personal notes on the films;All About My Mother (1999) - My favorite Almodovar film to date. He finally combines the best of his older, absurdist films, with his new found maturity and real emotion that began to emerge in 'Flower of My Secret' and 'Live Flesh'. A woman's son dies, while trying to get an autograph from a great actress, leaving his mother bereft, and trying to start a new life. I won't give away any details, but her journey is both funny and tragic, and leads to some terrifically unexpected and sometimes ironic places. Full of odd and wonderful characters, and some very strong acting. A bit cute or 'forced' in a few moments, but overall a moving, special and wonderful film. If you don't know Almodovar's work, this is an excellent place to start.Talk to Her (2002) My second favorite Almodovar film. A moving and complex study of the relationship between two men, and their connection to women in comas. A few brilliantly funny moments, and some ultimately very creepy undertones keep it from being over-sentimental. Every character is more complex then they first appear, and the confusion between what is good and what is bad in both intent and effect is very rich. Some great camera work too. Gets slow in a few spots, and the sentiment still goes over the top in a few places, but still a terrific film about the similarities and differences between love and obsession.Live Flesh (1997) A maturing Almodovar in a less absurd - if still melodramatic - mode than his early films. This time the tone is more film noir/mystery/character study. Unlike most of the early work, this is generally `serious', with just touches of his humor. Visually very striking and dark. Wonderful performances, including an early one by Javier Bardem. I appreciate how all the characters are grey, no one is `good' or bad'. Basically it's a love triangle with multiple angles, and a cop drama about violence and love. What it's missing (for me at least) , and keeps it a very good film, not a great one, is deeper levels of emotion. It's always interesting, but I didn't ultimately find it affecting. Also a couple of key plot contrivances are clunky - which the anarchic young Almodovar could get away with, since everything was absurd anyway. But when you're being more `real', forced twists feel more... well, forced. Still a highly enjoyable film well worth seeing, and another important step in the growth of a major filmmaker.Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1985) Great fun, as Almodovar's visual sophistication continues to expand from film to film, and his ability to create a subtle mix of the campy, the surreal, and real emotion grows ever stronger. Full of odd and silly twists and turns, and populated by absurd but still very human characters. It's also a film with a theme - the amazing strength and resilience of women. So why not a 5 star rating for a film a lot of smart people consider a flat-out masterpiece?. Maybe I need to re-see it a third time, but on recent round of working my way through all of Almodovar's films, it felt paper thin. I enjoyed it, but it didn't feel like a film that would stick with me, or effect me. In some ways, I found the far more flawed `Matador' has more unforgettable images, moments and challenging power. That said, this is still very worth your time. You'll smile a lot.Bad Education (2004) Fascinatingly complex nourish mystery. A film-maker is reunited with a boyhood lover, who wants to tell a dark story from their Catholic school days. But is the story true? And who's story is it really? Gael Garcia Bernal is terrific in a complicated, multi faceted role, and all the acting is very good. Gorgeously shot, with a great score. I wish I felt more emotionally, but my mind was always completely absorbed, even if my heart stayed a little cool. Maybe that's the nature of a film where everyone is hustling and using each other.(mild spoilers ahead)A bit obvious and self-conscious in a few spots, and pederastic Catholic priests is a cliché the film only partially transcends (although the humanity given to the priest makes it far more interesting), and a couple of the climactic twists feel less motivated than what comes before. But worth it for the `Vertigo' like layers of reality that keep getting pulled back and forcing us to keep reassessing `good', `bad', `art' and `real.' Many critics consider this Almodovar's masterpiece - and I could see watching it a third time. This is the kind of film that grows on repeated viewings.Matador (1987) Almodovar meets DePalma in this dark thriller with less `jokes' than most of his films, though black humor pervades the whole thing. All the characters are obsessed with death; a murderess who kills during sex, a teacher of matadors who lives to kill, and masturbates to snuff films, and a student who wishes he could kill but faints at the sight of blood. Some of the twists are silly, obvious and/or cop-outs, and the characters never feel `real', but there are some great, operatic disturbing and funny moments as well. Sort of a thinking person's, surrealist `Fatal Attraction'. Some of it is clunky, but the film sticks with me. Very good performances all around. Most critics I respect liked it even more than me, and I'll probably re-visit it down the line. As with many Almodovar films, it seems like the kind of film that could easily grow on a second viewing -- its flaws more forgivable, its strengths more powerful.Flower of My Secret (1996) Sweet, and very well acted. This is much less wild and outrageous than earlier Almodovar, but compensates by having more real emotion. Still, this has two of his usual key elements -- dramatic use of intense color, and a melodramatic, almost soapy, story. It's clear he loves melodrama at the same time he gently pokes fun at it. But in 'Flower of My Secret' the soap has more underpinnings in humanity, with subtler behavior and humor. Technically he gets even better with this film. It's beautiful, shot in a more subdued style than his earlier work. Not a great movie, but a good, entertaining, human one that paves the way to his later fully 'real' and moving masterpieces like 'Talk to Her'. Lovely performances. There seem to be two distinct groups among Almodovar fans. Those who prefer his earlier, wilder, more genre busting work, and those who prefer his more recent, subtler films. I'm in the second group, but can completely understand those who feel differently. And where you fall on that scale is likely to have a big impact on your reaction to this film.Law of Desire (1987) Clearly a technical step forward with some stunning visuals, and solid performances. But the melodramatic love/murder plot of a director obsessed with one man, while another is obsessed with him just got a little creaky and tiresome for me after a while. It's not absurd or campy enough to be funny, or real enough to raise strong emotions.

This box set is a must-have for anybody who loves Pedro Almodovar. If you only know a few, the other ones are worth watching.