Carmen Maura plays a put-upon housewife (apartment wife?) in this early Almodovar comedy. And when I say put-upon, I mean really put-upon. The film ends with the implication that there are all kinds of people in Maura's situation, but I kind of doubt it. Her abusive husband is a cabbie working on forging Hitler's letters. Her oldest son deals heroin, while her younger son is banging his buddy's dad (later she sells him to his dentist). She also has to deal with her nutty, lizard-loving mother-in-law. There's also the prostitute next door and the telekinetic girl down the hall. It's all really crazy! Honestly, a plot does eventually develop (it's kind of dumb), but too much of the film just feels like a catalogue of the crazy stuff that's happening. Maura is as great as always, and the film definitely has its amusing moments, but, overall, it's not one of Almodovar's stronger films.
Review of What Have I Done to Deserve This?
