¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!! (1984)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writers:

Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay)
Pedro Almodóvar (story)

Release Date:

30 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A dysfunctional family in Madrid: Gloria is a cleaning lady, hooked on No-Doze, living in a crowded flat with Antonio...

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Lizard | Dentist | Madrid Spain | Female Nudity

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Carmen Maura	...	Gloria
Luis Hostalot	...	Polo
Ryo Hiruma	...	Profesor Kendo
Ángel de Andrés López	...	Antonio (as Angel de Andres-Lopez)
Gonzalo Suárez	...	Lucas Villalba (as Gonzalo Suarez)
Verónica Forqué	...	Cristal
Juan Martínez	...	Toni
Chus Lampreave	...	Abuela
Kiti Manver	...	Juani
Sonia Anabela Holimann	...	Vanessa
Cecilia Roth	...	Chica anuncio
Diego Caretti	...	Chico anuncio
José Manuel Bello	...	Colega barrio
Pedro Almodóvar	...	Play-Back 'La bien pagá' (as Almodovar)
Fabio McNamara	...	Play-Back 'La bien pagá' (as McNamara)

Also Known As:

What Have I Done to Deserve This? (USA)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

German | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) (2006) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Hong Kong:III

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Kaktus Producciones Cinematográficas

Trivia:

Victoria Abril turned down the chance to star in the film, as she didn't want to play another prostitute, having just played one recently.

Quotes:

Miguel: [back home after being given in adoption to a pedophiliac dentist] At first it was fun, but I am too young to be tied down.

Movie Connections:

References Carrie (1976)

Soundtrack:

La bien pagá

The funny side of every tragedy

Being a Spaniard, when you listen to Pedro talking, you realize he can't help being constantly comical, even though he tried to be serious about any matter.

But one knows for sure he is always concerned about social, religious and political issues, putting himself always in favor of those marginal, poor, alternative, or simply average, on its last legs. THIS is the case of Gloria's story, the modest and invisible woman cleaning your apartment who never shared a word about herself.

PEDRO is proud of this film, because it set a point of very beginning in his career, leaving behind some successful punky jokes and presents his work with ambition. He will show from now on his fondness for Hollywood, for Douglas Sirk melodramas, also for ancient south American boleros lyrics, brought to life. He never gave up being comical, of course, but now is not the end of it all.

(I never compare "Qué he hecho yo…" with "Volver", although some plot lines are very similar, you could put all together into the particular universe of the author, while Raimunda is a very ardent portrait of a colorful, brave and beautiful mother, Gloria is a weak invisible woman snowed under some universe plan against her.

This is Almodovar's canon: He is trying to get every person watching his movies knowing NOT what to do, if cry or laugh or mix together in an awkward feeling, stimulating therefore some brainstorm into him or better: to her. (Pedro talks to women and talks about women, men can watch.) He shows tragedy, and then finds some funny side of it all, and makes you feel awful for being laughing at some silly thing that happened in the middle of disaster, and then drama flows again. Only women tend to be so complex to do that. Men are dull and emotionally uninteresting. So NO, this is not a Comedy. It is a funny Tragedy.

Almodovar's eyes always remain amazed at this world of fools, where crazy circumstances and coincidences seem to happen together against you.

Look into your maid's life. Yes, she may hide a fantastic story. Talk to her.