Rating: 
Summary: Heady stuff that never compromises - typical Almodovar
Review: "Live Flesh" begins with Victor Plaza being born on a bus in Franco's Spain in 1970 and ends, twenty six years later, with... well, I wont spoil the ending; but typically with Almodovar, it is fitting and poetic. In between, we follow Victor on his journey into manhood, as he learns the hard way about disillusion, betrayal, love, lust, life, death, and tragedy. As a young man, Victor believes that a one-off sexual encounter with a beautiful Italian junkie is something more than it is, and pesters her to such an extent that she draws a gun on him in order to get him to leave. A struggle ensues. The gun accidentally goes off, and although noone is hurt, it brings the unwelcome attention of two policemen. Another struggle ensues. Another shot is fired. One of the policemen is paralysed from the waist down. From then on, all four of their lives become tragically entwined; with deception and misunderstanding leading towards bitterness and envy. Inevitably, the lies are stripped away, unwanted truths are revealed, and all the various dilemmas are resolved amidst a scene of emotional and actual carnage. This must sound like heady stuff, almost melodramatic? It is. This is Almodovar, after all. There is the usual complex plotting that reveals the strains that pull apart and bring together relationships while the emotional lives of the characters are laid bare. There is the relentless drive to resolve the emotional dilemmas while avoiding sentimentality. In short, there are all the usual touches that one expects from Almodovar, including the wonderful acting from the cast. Wonderful! A film that will draw you back again and again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: (Read above for storyline) Another incredible film from Pedro Almodovar!
He never fails to tell the most incredible, tragic stories with warmth and genuine affection for all of his characters, no matter what they have done, or how they live their lives.
A powerful film and tragic film, with powerful performances from all the leads.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant erotic thriller
Review: Almodovar here shucks his tendency to blend campy sexuality and what he calls "screwball drama" for a strong work that instead fuses intense, real eroticism and the violence of a thriller into a powerful drama of fever-pitch emotionality. Victor, born on a bus in a more typical Almodovar opening sequence featuring Penelope Cruz as his mother, is a loner and a man on the edge. He stalks Elena, a junkie-prostitute-drug dealer and forces his way inside her apartment. When two cops subsequently bust her for possession, they don't count on Victor, there with her, who pulls a gun on the cops in a scene that ends with one of them being paralyzed from a shot to the base of his spine. Victor is nabbed and sent to prison. On his release, he discovers that Elena, whom he still lusts for, is now married to the paralyzed cop. And of course Victor cannot leave well enough alone. It's the interplay of the second cop, the second cop's wife, Victor, and Elena that brings the emotional fluids here to a boil. The story development including surprising revelations establishes a momentum that results in a climax more than worthy of the preceding events, and that more than justifies the label of thriller for this film. Lust, jealousy, murder, betrayal--all the juicy stuff that thrillers are made of--are, in the hands of a unique Spanish director, given a searing life of their own. It's truly a wonder to see this perfect mesh of out-of-control emotions, Spanish culture, and dazzling eroticism. A brilliant film. Although All About My Mother is superb, it is more a return to Almodovar's sensibilities. Live Flesh is unique and is even unique for Almodovar. This makes it really special.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant erotic thriller
Review: Almodovar here shucks his tendency to blend campy sexuality and what he calls "screwball drama" for a strong work that instead fuses intense, real eroticism and the violence of a thriller into a powerful drama of fever-pitch emotionality. Victor, born on a bus in a more typical Almodovar opening sequence featuring Penelope Cruz as his mother, is a loner and a man on the edge. He stalks Elena, a junkie-prostitute-drug dealer and forces his way inside her apartment. When two cops subsequently bust her for possession, they don't count on Victor, there with her, who pulls a gun on the cops in a scene that ends with one of them being paralyzed from a shot to the base of his spine. Victor is nabbed and sent to prison. On his release, he discovers that Elena, whom he still lusts for, is now married to the paralyzed cop. And of course Victor cannot leave well enough alone. It's the interplay of the second cop, the second cop's wife, Victor, and Elena that brings the emotional fluids here to a boil. The story development including surprising revelations establishes a momentum that results in a climax more than worthy of the preceding events, and that more than justifies the label of thriller for this film. Lust, jealousy, murder, betrayal--all the juicy stuff that thrillers are made of--are, in the hands of a unique Spanish director, given a searing life of their own. It's truly a wonder to see this perfect mesh of out-of-control emotions, Spanish culture, and dazzling eroticism. A brilliant film. Although All About My Mother is superb, it is more a return to Almodovar's sensibilities. Live Flesh is unique and is even unique for Almodovar. This makes it really special.
Rating: 
Summary: another reason i love modern european cinema
Review: Besides just simple good film-making, I've figured out WHY European dramatic cinema is better than that found in the U.S. They make more REAL honest movies about human behavior. Whereas in the U.S, a great percentage of films are juvenile comedies, trash pop culture flicks or shallow horror movies. The more you make the more likely you're able to turn out quality- and this film from Spain is no exception. My Spanish cinema experiences are few, but I've enjoyed what I've seen... one of which being the wonderfully creepy movie: "The Devil's Backbone" so, go order this or buy it, turn the lights down, pour your drink, and get comfy for a good quality movie... and hey, it's one of Penelope Cruz's first movies!
Rating:
Summary: Mas historias de amor...
Review: De Almodovar hemos aprendido mucho en lo que a cine latinoamericano se refiere dentro de los ultimos 20 años, ha sido escandaloso,anti-moralista, a veces complicado.. siempre he notado dos facetas muy marcadas dentro de su obra, La pasion y la muerte siempre abrazadas, siempre juntas... es brillante escritor de historias, director muy vivo y yo diria que un poco influenciado por Kubrick en cuanto a detalles en la escenografia se refiere, y a Hicthcock en el tema misterioso.
Esta sin lugar a dudas es para mi su mejor pelicula, reconoci de inmediato su idea de adaptarse a filosfias mas contemporaneas, a cambiar su cine con los tiempos modernos. Es una sufrida y dificil historia de amor pero que da en el punto de la realidad y marca huella en el publico.
Rating:
Summary: Almodovar is just amazing!
Review: Don't think about not buying it cause it is one of the best movies You're ever gonna see! The story is very complicated so I rather don't tell it. But it is full of excelent humor, act,... It is just the best!1
Rating:
Summary: Desire & Betrayal
Review: Early Almodovar like MATADOR is more fun because the characters are so unique and outrageous. One thing remains consistent though with him over the years--his characters are all driven to extremes by desire(to the point of obsession). Matador is fun because even though the two lead characters share a dark desire (a sex-death urge) they are each so flamboyant like artists who seek to make their ultimate creative gesture. In Matador obsession is taken to an extreme which makes it exciting but also absurd and so comic. About the time of KIKA Almodovar began concentrating less on character and more on complicated plots, his characters still had dark desires but those desires no longer had the incorruptibility of obsession. KIKA was a schizophrenic film which wasn't enough fun to be a comedy and yet had too many absurd touches to be a film noir(though the last 20 minutes of that picture certainly was film noir). It was as if Kika was an awkward but necessary transition film and it felt like one. However with LIVE FLESH Almodovar has made a complete film noir from start to finish. Oddly enough it feels like this is the film he has been wanting to make for many years. It lacks the magic realism and passionate obsession that was so captivating and entertaining in a film like Tie Me Up Tie Me Down and it also lacks stars that shine as bright but it more than makes up for it with a perfectly constructed plot. Live Flesh has what might be the most imaginative plot of any movie in recent years. It successfully presents a half dozen interconnected lives in a way that allows each one to fully come to life and each characters destiny is interrelated with every other characters destiny in a way that makes it one of the most complex narrative puzzles I have ever seen. Its complex piece of filmmaking which never makes a wrong move. The plot makes it a noir but a very sophisticated noir. Desire as always is the driving force and obsession but this plot takes place not in the realm of art(as some of those earlier Almodovars did, which I still love)but in a more earthen realm. Almovodar gives this film a specific time frame, setting his plot firmly in reality. It begins in 1970 during a time of Fascist oppression in Spain. The main character is a victim of circumstance in every way. His mother was a prostitute and he was born on a bus and ends up losing his virginity with a drug addict who he bcomes instantly addicted to. When he makes a return visit to her apartment she rejects him, a fight breaks out, the cops arrive and someone is inadvertently or purposely shot. The plot never lets up. Desire comes to life and is betrayed in one scene after another. And yet despite being a hard core noir with gritty realism(as opposed to Almodovars signature magic realism)this film ends with the realization of the main characters obsession. It is a long and dark and circuitous route to get there and yet there is light at the end of this winding labyrinth of desire. Highly recommended. A+.
Rating:
Summary: Este pelicula del Almodovar es lo mejor de todos!!!!
Review: En "Carne Tremula" como se llamda en espanol, es para mi, lo mejor de los peliculas del Almodovar! Los gentes, Elena y Victor necesitas sera juntos! Los maridos, y los otras mujeres eras tan rico, triste, y tienes SI mucho colores del emociones, eso es exacto lo mismo de la vida vedardero!!!Me encanto con todos los peliculas del Almodovar, pero lo creo que este pelicula es LO MEJOR!!!! Todo el mundo necesitas mirar este historia del amor, celos, odio, y muchas mas cosas buenos y no buenos.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific movie!!! (in Spanish)
Review: Esta película es una estremecedora ojetada, pero así es la vida y Almodóvar no se ahorra un ápice de verdad al retratar sin ambajes la infinita crueldad inherente de todas las pasiones sexuales (¡qué parrafada tan intelectualoide!). Lo único que lamento es que Penélope Cruz no se haya desnudado.
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