La ley del deseo (1987)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writers:

Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay)
Pedro Almodóvar (story)

Release Date:

5 March 1987 (Argentina)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A film makers sexual disorientation jepordizes his latest project.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Memory | Gay | Letter | Actress

Awards:

9 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Eusebio Poncela	...	Pablo Quintero
Carmen Maura	...	Tina Quintero
Antonio Banderas	...	Antonio Benítez
Miguel Molina	...	Juan Bermúdez
Fernando Guillén	...	Inspector de policía
Manuela Velasco	...	Ada, niña
Nacho Martínez	...	Doctor Martín
Bibiana Fernández	...	Ada - madre (as Bibí Andersen)
Helga Liné	...	Madre de Antonio
Germán Cobos	...	El Cura
Fernando Guillén Cuervo	...	Policía, chico
Marta Fernández Muro	...	Una Groupi
Lupe Barrado	...	Enfermera
Alfonso Vallejo	...	Sargento
Maruchi León	...	Hermana de Juan

Also Known As:

Law of Desire (USA)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:NC-17 | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM18 | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:18 (f)

Filming Locations:

Conil, Cádiz, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

In the scene where Tina (Carmen Maura) washes dishes in Pablo's (Eusebio Poncela) kitchen, she wears an apron that has the logo for "¿Que He Hecho Yo Para Merecer Esto!!" The logo is the same one as the one used for the Spanish posters for that film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hongos (1999)

Soundtrack:

Sinfonia 10

The ultimate in high camp

Outrageous, extremely enjoyable, over-the-top melodrama about a straight psychopath (Antonio Banderas) prepared to go gay to further his career with a homosexual film director (Eusebio Poncela). A feast of familiar faces for anyone familiar with Almodovar's career. Carmen Maura as the director's transsexual sister, happily dispensing cocaine to hospital patients, knocking out policemen and engaging in the in-scene to end all in-scenes with the beautiful Bibiana Fernandez, the mother of her adopted daughter, when anyone in the know would recognize Fernandez as Spain's most famous transsexual in real life! About halfway through, Almodovar's loopiness slips into high gear and the laughs come thick and fast. Just don't expect too much believability towards the end. Interesting to see so many faces from Almodovar's pitch-black comedy Matador, made the previous year and in this viewer's opinion far superior. Still, Law of Desire is too way over the top not to be enjoyable. Just don't throw your popcorn at the screen.