Review of Law of Desire (1987) by Stuart K — 05 Sep 2012

Between Matador (1986) and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Pedro Almodóvar made this darkly funny romantic drama, which was quite groundbreaking, as it was Almodóvar's first gay film, and despite the subject matter, it is quite touching and moving, and it showed where Almodóvar was heading, as he now starting to show a more serious side.

It has some good performances, and is well made too. Homosexual film director Pablo Quintero (Eusebio Poncela), has just released a new film, at the premiere party, Pablo meets Antonio (Antonio Banderas), who is a big fan of Pablo's work, and they go back to Pablo's place and have sex, and it's Antonio's first homosexual experience.

However, Pablo intends for it to be a one night stand, as he already has a partner in Juan (Miguel Molina), but Antonio gets jealous and abducts Juan, tries to rape him and ends up having him thrown off a cliff.

Pablo's sister Tina (Carmen Maura), who had a sex change years previously because she hates men, is chief suspect for Juan's murder, and then Tina later falls for Antonio, much to Pablo's horror.

It is a film of sexual disorientation and then some, but even though it's quite frank and serious in it's depiction of gay sex, it does have a darkly comic undercurrent going through, but it's a good film and it this helped bring Almodóvar and even Banderas international recognition.