The Flower of My Secret (1996)

Pedro Alomodóvar made this misfired, rambling comedy about a romance novelist (Marisa Paredes) whose crumbling marriage has left her depressed and unable to work. At a low point, she writes a scathing indictment of her own books (which are penned under another name), with no one realizing critic and author are one and the same. Almodóvar (Law of Desire) has the start of a great idea here, and for once, he's direct about his sympathy for a character. But nothing else about The Flower of My Secret is so clear. Despite its unusual allegiance to the straightforward "women's films" of the 1950s, this movie blows it by becoming needlessly complicated over extraneous junk, forcing one to grope in the dark for Almodóvar's point. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

Not Almodóvar's best, but it presaged his great stretch

I'm a big Almodóvar fan and of Marisa Paredes, too. But to get right to the point: Skip this one. Chronologically, 'Flower' came right after the dreadful Kika (the Almodovar Collection) [Region 2 Import, English Subtitles] and while it's a step up from there, it's a far cry from the incredible string of four films starting with 1999's All About My Mother.

Wikipedia says that 'Flower' "remains one of the director's humblest films." That's a euphemistic way of saying "this is dreadfully boring stuff." Four years later, Almodóvar turned on the jets with All About My Mother, followed in succession by masterpieces Talk to Her (Hable con Ella), Bad Education (R-Rated Edition) and Volver. He can put that quartet up against any director in history.

May 9, 2008

Pain and life . . .

The wonderful achievement of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar is his ability to take the material of melodrama and soap opera and with the lightest touch turn it into life affirming entertainment. This 1996 film set in Madrid has another of his women on the verge of a nervous breakdown - several, in fact - and follows her through a series of life crises to a happily bittersweet ending. Marisa Paredes plays the woman, a hugely successful romance writer, who has a tempestuous marriage to an army officer that's headed for divorce, a mother and sister who never stop berating each other, and a best friend who as a grief counselor could give them all lessons on how to give and take bad news but has some bad news of her own she's not revealing.

Add a faithful housekeeper and her son, trying to persuade her to return to a career as a heart-stopping flamenco dancer, plus a soft-hearted newspaper editor ready to come to the rescue, and you have most of the elements of a closely interwoven story that doesn't stop moving until the last breakable object has been thrown and the last tear dabbed away with a tissue. The music track ranges from tango motifs to Miles Davis; there are references right and left to other movies and literature; and the sets and costumes are all bright colors with an emphasis on red. No Almodóvar fan will be disappointed. The DVD includes a short making-of featurette, with interviews of the director and cast. November 6, 2007

Disappointing Almodovar

Pedro Almodovar has been getting better and better with age. He's made remarkable and unforgettable films--All about my Mother, Talk to Her, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!--and his latest movie, Volver, was a masterpiece.

But even geniuses fail sometimes, and The Flower of my Secret is, in my opinion, a blemish on the outstanding career of the Spanish filmmaker. It's not so much a terrible film as a dull and mundane one--and coming from Almodovar, there might not be a greatest sin than that.
October 23, 2007

A suprisingly "light" foreign film / Una sorpresa

First, I watched the movie in Spanish (with no subtitles) and have spent extended time in Spain, so I'm coming from a different point of view than most viewers. Secondly, for a foreign film and especially for an ALMODÓVAR film, this is light. If not taken too seriously, it's simply a light, interesting story about a woman who is having "man trouble." There ARE layers to the film and it does have its darker moments. But, let's face it, for a foreign film, it's a nice reprieve from having to question the meaning and joy of life and all that. It also has beautiful views of Spain and its culture, but lots of potty words.

Primero, vi la película en español (sin subtítulos) y he pasado much tiempo en España; así, la vi de un punto de vista distinta. Segundo, en cuanto a un film de Europa y especialmente tomando en cuenta que es de ALMODÓVAR, no es muy pesado. De verás tiene mucho en que pensar si quieres, pero no TIENES QUE enfrentar temas pesadas. Si no lo tomes tanto en serio, simplemente es un film que cuenta de una mujer quien tiene problemas con su marido (y qué guapo es!). Por haber sido un film de Europa, me gustó porque no tenía que estar deprimida pensando en el sentido de vivir y todas esas cosas. También tiene algunos momentos muy lindos en cuanto a vistas de España y muchas groserías. September 27, 2007

Another Aspect of Almodóvar's Talent, Deeply Impressive on its Own

Some viewers have placed this exciting film 'La Flor de mi secreto' into the 'not up to standard' Pedro Almodóvar films, a classification this viewer finds difficult to understand. Filmed in the luxuriously colorful palette (especially the repeated use of the color red in every scene) that has become his trademark, set with a musical score that includes Spanish song and guitar and flamenco, and introducing a wildly disparate group of over-the-top women played by a bevy of fine actresses - it all seems echt Almodóvar to me. No, there is not the outrageous side of gender bending that suffuses many of his more popular films, but there is a fine story that resonates throughout this remarkable movie that makes it very much worth the attention of lovers of Spanish cinema.

The film opens during the credits on a woman being informed that her 16-year old son is brain dead as a result of a motorcycle accident and two young doctors (including the irrepressible young Jordi Molla) are trying to convince her to allow the respirator to be disconnected and the boy's organs harvested for donor transplant. Sad, tense though this opening is we discover soon enough that the trio are actors making a demo film for medical personnel to learn to deal with such possible family encounters! Point: what appears to be a tragedy becomes a 'farcical depiction' guided by a seminar leader Betty (Carmen Elías). Flash into a different scene and we me Leo (the immensely talented Almodóvar favorite Marisa Paredes), depressed to the extreme over the failure of her marriage to her beloved Paco (Imanol Arias), a NATO 'soldier' who took assignments as far from Leo as possible. Now Leo continues to write her trashy novels she has never had published while clinging to the Paco (she wears his clothes, currently his boots) she cannot recover. Noting that the boots are too tight she leaves her typewriter to flee into the streets to find someone to remove the painful boots and after frustrating encounters with less than helpful people, she turns to her best friend Betty (yes, at a seminar!) who successfully removes the shoes. It seems Paco had an affair with Betty, a fact that further flails at Leo's pain. Betty assuages her by introducing her to a literary editor Ángel (Juan Echanove) who asks Leo to come on staff as a critic - most particularly to review the 'example manuscript' Leo has presented him in applying for the job. The reaction is predictable and Leo is at odds with how to continue her life.

Along the way of the story Leo gets advice from her hilarious mother and sister (Chus Lampreave and Rossy De Palma in typical Almodóvar creations!) and from her maid Blanca (Manuela Vargas) and Blanca's son Antonio (Joaquín Cortés) who perform Spanish ballet as a side line (and incredibly well, too - with some wonderful flamencoesque moments of artistic relief). Coincidences happen that allow Leo to ultimately catch a new perspective on her life without Paco - in a most unexpected way.

So what is not to love about this Almodóvar opus? For this viewer, absolutely nothing. It is a delight from beginning to end and deserves reconsideration in placement in the gifted director's echelon of works. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 06


September 4, 2006

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