ATAME!
(American title: TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN!)
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson
101 min., NC-17, Comedy/Drama, 1990, In Spanish with English subtitles Director: Pedro Almodovar Cast: Victoria Abril, Antonio Banderas, Loles Leon, Francisco Rabal, Julieta Serrano, Maria Barranco, Rossy de Palma
Released mental patient Antonio Banderas kidnaps porn star Victoria Abril when she refuses to marry him. Banderas ties Abril up and keeps her trapped in her apartment. As Abril's captivity goes on, she starts to fall for Banderas.
ATAME! is certainly not a comedy for all people. People with obscure tastes, I think, will have the most chance of liking this film. I enjoyed this film a lot and suggest that adventurous people take a chance with this film. Inspite of what the title might suggest, this is not a S&M, T&A, or bondage film. I give ATAME! a five on a scale of zero to five. ATAME! is rated NC-17 for female nudity, explicit language, adult situations, and violence. There are two versions of ATAME! available, an NC-17 version and an unrated version (the version that I saw). Both versions have a run time of 101 minutes, so there can't be more than a few seconds difference.
The cast for this film is excellent, especially Victoria Abril (LA LUNE DANS LE CANIVEAU [THE MOON IN THE GUTTER], AMANTES [LOVERS 1991 version], HIGH HEELS). She brings her character alive when she is on screen. Victoria Abril is the highlight of this film. Antonio Banderas (WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN) also does a great job. Francisco Rabal, who plays an old director in the film, has the funniest character in the film.
Spanish cult director Pedro Almodovar (WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN) has created an excellent dark comedy that will most likely reward those who are willing to try this film with a great time. ATAME! is excellently written and has great locations. I think the way that the drug district was set up to look was great. The subtitles are in yellow and done well, so that they can be read in all of the scenes.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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