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 major, professional reviewers liked even more than me, and I'll probably re-visit it down the line. It seems like the kind of film that could easily grow on a second viewing -- its flaws more forgivable, its strengths more powerful.
Review of Matador
