Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Starring Victoria Abril, Antonio Banderas, Loles León, Francisco Rabal, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma, Francisca Caballero, María Barranco, Lola Cardona. [NC-17]

After getting released from a mental asylum, unhinged Banderas tracks down Marina (Abril), an ex-porn star and recovering addict with whom he once had sex. He forces his way into her apartment, smacks her around, and ties her to the bed, insistent that he can make her fall in love with him. Another one of Almodóvar’s early-career outings designed to be provocative and stir up controversy, far higher on camp and shock value than humanity or wit. To call it psychologically dubious would be akin to saying that it’s a bit on the misogynistic side, but it’s the overall naïvety and failure to find a strong center that come up most wanting, resulting in some well-timed laughs, a few engagingly nutty performances, and crisp photography courtesy of José Luis Alcaine that all go quickly forgotten. Really, the only bits that linger do so solely for their brazen silliness, like the scuba diver sex toy or some lengthy and explicit rumpy-pumpy in the throes of captivity. Ennio Morricone’s melancholy music has some allure, but it strikes familiar chords in his repertoire. Initially released without an MPAA rating to avoid the stigma of an X certification, but later re-rated under the newly-created NC-17 for its home video release. Original Spanish title: ¡Átame!

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