by Yazmin Ghonaim

LIVE FLESH (Carne Trémula) Pedro Almodóvar (1997) In his latest film, Live Flesh (or "Carne Trémula", literally translated as "trembling flesh"), Pedro Almodóvar engineers a spiraling web of relations between the pivotal and sexually driven character of Victor (Liberto Rabal) and the sophisticated, yet disoriented, Elena (Francesca Neri); the neglected and battered wife, Clara (Angela Molina); the seductive cop, David (Javier Bardem); and David's vengeful and weak partner, Sancho (Jose Sancho). Set amidst the modernity of Madrid, Spain, Almodóvar's film is populated by fallible --yet passionate-- characters. After a one night stand with Elena, Victor falls madly in love, to the point of obsession. After paying an unexpected visit to the disinterested beloved one night, a neighbor calls the police upon hearing a gunshot. The two cops, David and Sancho, barge violently inside Elena's apartment and, ultimately, into her and Victor's lives. Years after that unforgettable night, which left David paralyzed from the waist down, the characters meet again and relive dormant passions. In spite of the morbidness of the conflicts which arise, "Live Flesh" captures each character's liveliness and spontaneous individuality adding thrills of dark humor, so characteristic of Almodóvar, to their relationships. A most interesting aspect of the film (an adaptation of Ruth Rendell's novel) is the degree to which the characters' extraordinary transformations unreel the plot in moving (and always unexpected) ways.		DVD Music Books Search by keywords:
Outstanding Features: Story, Color Live Flesh (Carne Trémula) Movie Review © 1997 Cinephiles - All rights reserved.