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Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)
"Átame!" (original title)

6.9
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Ratings: 6.9/10 from 11,981 users   Metascore: 54/100
Reviews: 56 user | 32 critic | 12 from Metacritic.com

Ricky is released from a mental hospital, and knows exactly what he wants to do. He hunts down Marina, a porn film star he once had sex with, and tries to convince her to be his wife. She ... See full summary »

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Title: Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Lola
Julieta Serrano ...
Alma
María Barranco ...
Médica
...
Camello en Vespa
Francisco Rabal ...
Máximo Espejo
Lola Cardona ...
Directora psiquiátrico
Montse G. Romeu ...
Periodista
Emiliano Redondo ...
Decorador
Oswaldo Delgado ...
Fantasma
Concha Rabal ...
Farmacéutica
Alberto Fernández ...
Productor
José María Tasso ...
Anciano psiquiátrico
...
Montadora
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Storyline

Ricky is released from a mental hospital, and knows exactly what he wants to do. He hunts down Marina, a porn film star he once had sex with, and tries to convince her to be his wife. She is a bit reluctant, so he ties her up. Will this approach endear him to her? Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

A love story...with strings attached!

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for scene of strong adult sensuality with nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

12 April 1990 (Argentina)  »

Also Known As:

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 510,932,669 (Spain)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The sex scene between Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril took nine takes to get right, and about nine hours to film. Pedro Almodóvar chose to use the last take as, by that time, the two actors had worked themselves up into a sweat which made the scene appear to be more authentic. Elia Kazan later remarked that he thought it was one of the best sex scenes he had ever witnessed. See more »

Goofs

When Ricky accepts to take Marina out, to search for painkillers, she puts on a dress without underwear. When they return home she undresses showing a pair of white panties. See more »

Quotes

Ricky: I didn't mean to hurt you, but you started to scream.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Le divorce (2003) See more »

Soundtracks

"Resistiré"
Written by Carlos Toro Montoro (as Carlos Toro) and Manuel de la Calva
Performed by Antonio Banderas and Loles León
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

people don't get the irony
9 May 2004 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

I'm amazed that people don't get the irony underlying this film. If you've seen other, earlier Almodovar films, you'll know that he explores sexual situations that come emanate from all sorts of crazy situations (think of Law of Desire (1987), for example, in which Banderas plays a man exploring his homosexuality). But what makes this film so great is that, unlike Almodovar's other films, it attempts to explore the nature of the "conventional," heterosexual matrix which, through Almodovar's eyes, becomes completely nonsensical. Indeed, the relationship between Marina and Ricky is meant, ultimately, to be a parody of how such relationships work, as if heterosexuality (and its consequence, marriage) are almost inevitably equivalent in character to the infamous Stockholm syndrome. The final twist of the film, mistakenly hated for its apparently patriarchal overtones, is in fact a humorous subversion of conventional sexual politics. `You're crazy! Love a man who kidnaps you and ties you up? Is that normal?' exclaims Marina's sister. Well, actually, yes, according to Almodovar, it's completely normal. When viewed with irony (most viewers seem to have a bad case of literal disease when it comes to this film), this movie is a devastating critique of modern heterosexuality. Note that the trio sing the Spanish version of "I will survive" at the very end, when everything has supposedly worked out, in Candide fashion, for the best...


27 of 34 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Teacher showed this in class, got suspended OHJoel
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