TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN!
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1990 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis: Shortly after being released from a mental hospital, a young man kidnaps the woman of his dreams -- a beautiful porno actress who is also a drug addict. He ties her up and beats her until she falls in love with him! A "romantic comedy" that is neither romantic nor funny. Instead, it's rather boring!
Spain (English subtitles), color, 1990, approx. 100 minutes. Director: Pedro Almodovar
This is the latest film from Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, who is best known in the U.S. for two earlier films: MATADOR (1986), and WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (1988). The film has generated considerable controversy, and plenty of free publicity for its content (bondage), and the fact that it received the dreaded "X" rating from the MPAA, which caused the distributor to release the film as unrated instead.
The storyline is fairly simple. Ricky is a mental patient, a compulsive thief, and a real stud. He is released from a mental hospital in the beginning of the film. Next we meet Marina, a porno actress and junkie, who is making her first "serious" film, a second-rate horror film directed by a lecher who lusts after Marina.
Ricky locates Marina, and stalks her for a while. A suitable opportunity arises, he kidnaps her and holds her prisoner. To make certain that she doesn't escape, he ties and gags her frequently. The rest of the movie consists of him alternately expressing his undying love for her (he wants to have children by her), beating/threatening her, and keeping her in bondage while he goes out to buy drugs for her. As the film continues, Marina slowly starts to fall in love with her captor.
The production values of this film are, at best, only average. The "steamy" sex scene that supposedly earned the film an X rating seems very over-rated; indeed, the scene is really ridiculous. Even worse, the scene is not funny either!
The big problem with the film is that it simply doesn't work. As a comedy, it produces very few laughs; there was very little laughter in the theater when I saw it, so I am not the only one who found the film blase. As a romance, we need to believe that Marina can actually fall in love with the man who threatens, beats, and regularly abuses her! For this to happen, Marina needs to be as crazy as Ricky, and that impression is not conveyed in the film.
I believe that the film doesn't work because the director is playing it straight, i.e., conventional humor and romance. The situation of this film, a woman held in bondage against her will, could be used to full advantage in a warped, black comedy (much as S&M was used in the outrageously funny MARQUIS, reviewed previously). However, by being conventional, the result is a rather boring film. Further, the message of the film will likely offend some people; said message being that the way for a man to win a woman's love is to kidnap her and beat her to submission!
This film is really not worth seeing, even at matinee prices. Instead, go see THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE, AND HER LOVER, or some other movie.
Distribution. In its first U.S. theatrical release, now showing at 3 different theaters in the San Francisco-Berkeley area. Should be available in other areas as well.
Reviewer contact: teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU
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