Directed by: Pedro Almodovar
Written by: Thierry Jonquet
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet
Two hours, subtitled
Antonio Banderas plays doctor Ledgard, who specializes in face transplants. He brings some opium for Vera, but finds that Vera has attempted suicide. He fixes her up, but she’s concerned about “how long will it all last?” Afterwards, he goes back to his lab and continues his work; he’s attempting to make synthetic skin. This skin seems to be fireproof, and insect-bite proof; it’s super-durable because he’s modified it with pig DNA. He is ordered to stop his experiments, and no one knows about Vera.
He goes home, where he has a creepy camera in Vera’s room where he can watch and zoom in on her. He keeps her locked in a room in his house. She wants to live with him as an equal, but he won’t have it. She’s clearly getting tired of whatever their arrangement is. He fires all the servants, as they know of her existence.
Ledgard’s servant, and secret mother, Marilla, says he’ll either have to kill Vera or she’ll kill herself. Marilla’s estranged son comes to visit, and it comes out that he robbed a jewelry store last night. He wants Robert to change his face, and he might blackmail Robert to do it. He also sees Vera on the camera. He attacks and ties up Marilla, grabs the key, and open Vera’s door. He recognizes her, since he’s the one who set her on fire the first time.
They have sex while Marilla watches on the monitor. Robert comes home and catches them in the act. He kills Zeca, but not Vera. Later, while Robert disposes of the body, Marilla tells Vera the story about how Zeca and Gal, Robert’s wife ran off together, and she burned in a car crash. Gal started to recover eventually, but she was so scarred she killed herself.
After Robert and vera have sex, we’re treated to a number of flashbacks… it’s a tale of date rape and body transformation. The flashback takes about an hour of the film, and we eventually work back to the present. Where lies and betrayal are still normal.
Commentary:
This didn’t go at all as I expected, and that’s a good thing. I’m not sure I’d call this a horror film, except perhaps as a surgical thriller. It was well-filmed, looked great, and kept my interest throughout. At the very least, it was a change from monsters and slashers; I recommend it.