La flor de mi secreto (1995)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar (writer)

Release Date:

8 March 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Every woman has a secret...

Plot:

Leo Macias writes sentimental novels with great success but hidden under a pseudonym, Amanda Gris. She...

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | Flamenco | Organ Donation | Women | Newspaper

Awards:

4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Marisa Paredes	...	Leo Macías
Juan Echanove	...	Ángel
Carme Elias	...	Betty
Rossy de Palma	...	Rosa
Chus Lampreave	...	Madre de Leo
Kiti Manver	...	Manuela
Joaquín Cortés	...	Antonio
Manuela Vargas	...	Blanca
Imanol Arias	...	Paco
Gloria Muñoz	...	Alicia
Juan José Otegui	...	Tomas
Nancho Novo	...	Doctor B
Jordi Mollà	...	Doctor A
Alicia Agut	...	Neighbor A
Marisol Muriel	...	Dancer

Also Known As:

La fleur de mon secret (France)
The Flower of My Secret (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Spain | France

Language:

Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | France:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Almagro, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company:

CiBy 2000

Trivia:

During the film Leo talks about story lines for books. One of the stories is about a girl who kills her father after he tries to rape her and then along with her mother hides the body in a restaurant freezer. This is the basic plot of Volver (2006/I), one of Almodóvar's later films.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dolor y vida: Un acercamiento a 'La flor de mi secreto' (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Tonada de luna llena

Uneven drama

Pedro Almodovar is easily one of the most interesting filmmakers in the world today and most of his films are in a strange way tongue in cheek, despite the premise of the story! But in this film its a more serious Almodovar story and while never boring, I'm not sure it succeeds on the level it wants. Story is about a woman who is a very famous writer but writes under a pseudonym. She hates her own work and is hired by a magazine to do a story on herself (They don't know she is the same person). Marisa Paredes is Leo and as she enters middle age she seems to be going through a mid-life crisis. She drinks to much and her marriage is falling apart. Her husband Paco (Imanol Aris) is in the military and always gone. Its evident he does not miss her but Leo looks forward to when he comes home. Definitely a more somber and straight laced story by one of the most irreverent directors in ages. Paredes is always captivating and she seems at ease playing women with deep rooted problems. Film follows her as Leo must learn all over again how to enjoy life and most important, to like herself! Slow moving film as some genuine moments from Paredes but its not one of Almodovars better efforts.