Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
When Victor attempts to seduce Elena, all he gets for his trouble is a one-way, six-year ticket to prison, where he concentrates on strengthening his mind, his body... and his desire for vengeance on the man who put him there. After his release and still madly in love with her, Victor will stop at nothing to win her over even if means revenge, for Elena has married David, the cop who sent him to prison!
Almodóvar's adaptation of Ruth Rendell blends erotic thriller mechanics with his signature melodramatic excess and vivid Madrid color palette — the cinematography by Affonso Beato is lush and confident, earning a genuine high mark. The plot's tangled web of desire, guilt, and obsession is compelling if somewhat convoluted, and the ensemble (Bardem, Verdú, Liberto Rabal) delivers solid but not exceptional performances. The film's novelty sits squarely in the middle — it's unmistakably Almodóvar in texture and feeling, but compared to his most distinctive work it feels like a genre exercise rather than a singular statement. The ending deflates somewhat, resolving the tension in a way that feels rushed and emotionally undercooked relative to the buildup.