Mein blühendes Geheimnis

Only Pedro Almodovar can do a melodrama that crosses genres like this film. In one sense, this is a film that you would expect to see on Lifetime.

Marisa Paredes (All About My Mother, Life is Beautiful) is nothing less than outstanding a a writer that is going through a crisis with a husband (Imanol Arias) that does not love her anymore. There is, of course, a crisis with her mother (Chus Lampreave - Volver) at the same time. Then, she finds out that it is her best friend that is having an affair with her husband, and there are profession problems at the same time. Sounds just like a Lifetime movie, doesn't it? But, Almodovar manages to give us a great story with his twists. Laughs are generous as comedic situations occur throughout. It's like wanting to laugh at something at a funeral. It happens, and we just have to deal with it.

Juan Echanove (who supposedly gave a great performance in Alatriste, the film that I have been waiting for release theatrically, or on DVD) is superb as Ángel, the newspaper editor who fulfills a dream to write romance novels. and who is in love with Leo (Parades).

It is just another great film from Almodovar that defies a description that would ever do it justice. Only experiencing his films can ever be pleasure.

In a very short period of time I've seen several of Pedro Almodóvar's movies and I've become a fan of his work. I love his style of mixing drama with (sometimes absurd) humor and music. I like the fact that he always knows to make you feel as if you know the characters personally after seeing the movie... Having said this, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by "La flor de mi secreto".

The characters aren't as well developed as I'm used to see in his movies and it's sometimes very hard to care for his main character: Leo Macías (Marisa Paredes). As Amanda Gris (her pseudonym), she is a writer of very successful sentimental novels who deal about love, sex and happy endings. But her personal life is a complete mess. She doesn't want to write this kind of novels anymore and she gets an assignment from a magazine to write a review on the work of... Amanda Gris. Her relationship with her man isn't any good. He works for the Nato, is more abroad than at home and when he's at home he wants to leave as soon as possible. She drinks too much, her mother is a cause of many concerns... She wants to change her whole life, but it isn't as easy as she hoped it would be.

Even though the story isn't bad or boring, it doesn't really succeed to be as captivating as I would like it to be. The positive thing about this movie is that you already can see Almodovár's talent for the use of humor and music, great camera work, interesting story telling... sipping through. Things that became more obvious in his later work. This movie may not be the best example of his work, but it is worth a watch. I give it a 6/10.

An intense drama about love , jealous and betrayal. It deals with Leocadia, Marisa Paredes , a mature writer of romantic fiction who hits crisis point when she is rejected by her husband , Imanol Arias , and is then trapped by her reputation when she attempts to expand her literary horizons. Along the way she is supported by Angel : Juan Echanove , editor of the Newspaper El País. Later on, Leo returns to her native village, a source of solace.

This is an intimate portrait of pain and regeneration that strikes the heart without tricks. Here Pedro Almodovar focuses on a single character , the challenge of dealing closely an individual role has reconnected him with the emocional realities of an everyday damaged life. Although there are various secondaries incidents as the constant bickering between the mother : Chus Lampreave and Leo's sister Rossy De Palma, both of whom Almodovar's regulars, as well as a trip home to her native La Mancha, birth's location Almodovar himself. Here Pedro observes the commitment that permeates family relationships detailed with great honesty , perceptiveness and the habitual incisive humor, being freely based on a short novel written by Dorothy Parker. Main star Marisa Paredes gives a nice acting as the upsettling writer suffering loneliness , irritation , professional frustation and deceiving. Being well accompanied by ordinary actors of the Almodovar Factory displaying top-notch interpretations, such as Rossy De Palma , Chus Lampreave, Kiti Manver along with others as Juan Echanove , Imanol Arias , Jordi Molla, Nancho Novo, Carmen Elías, Gloria Muñoz, Juan Jose Otegui .Adding spectacular Flamenco dances by Joaquín Cortes and , of course , wonderful songs by Chavela Vargas .

Furthermore, colorful and glamorous cinematography by Alfonso Beato and Alfredo Mayo. Along with adequate and sensitive musical score by Alberto Iglesias. The picture was well made by Pedro Almodovar in his peculiar style, directing a especial melodrama, including his personal touches. Almodovar directs throughout with splendid zip and he often portrays strong female characters and getting a long career achieving some international awards. His first film Pepi, Luci, Boom 1980 was made in 16mm and had certain success. In 1987 Pedro and his brother Agustin established his own production company El Deseo S. A., making various and very popular fims all around the world. Oscar-winning Almodovar made a lot of successes such as Labyrinth of Passions, Law of Desire, Matador, Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Bad Education, All about my Mother, Talk to her, Broken embraces, The Skin I live, I'm so excited and nowadays he goes on giving big hits on the internatinal screens. The Flower of my Secret rating 6.5/10. Decent melodrama, essential and fundamental seeing for Pedro Almodovar aficionados. Worthwhile watching.

The title of Almodovar's later film, All About My Mother, was a nod of respect in the direction of the 1950 Hollywood film, All About Eve, which contains Bette Davis's famous line - "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night". This quote could well appear at the start of most of the Spanish director's films, certainly Flower. Here, the rider on his emotional rollercoaster is Leocadia (Leo) Macias (Marisa Paredes), whose marriage and life are in crisis. She is not as young as she was, and her handsome husband Paco (Imanol Arias) has lost interest and is about to leave her. The "secret" of the title is that Leo writes romantic novels under an assumed name, but hers is not the only secret revealed in the movie.

Spoiled and self-centred Leo is not the most likeable of women; her sister Rosa (the wonderful Rossy de Palma) who looks after their aged mother probably deserves more of our sympathy. But the nicest people don't necessarily provide the most interesting stories; and Almodovar isn't trying to enlist our pity, but our understanding. If, according to the oft-quoted screenplay dictum, character is defined by action, then what he shows us is a courageous character who overcomes her self-pity, and takes up life and love again. Leo comes to terms with her loss, in much the same way as the mother in film's opening scene finally accepts that her son is dead. But that episode turns out to be a repeatable training session for doctors, so perhaps Almodovar is warning Leo that loss of love can take place more than once, or possibly he is suggesting to the audience that they regard Leo's story as a training session for life.

This unashamed melodrama is conveyed via magical acting, great camerawork, and above all intense colours. There are a few specifically Spanish touches, including a sequence where Leo and her mother return to their idyllic, picturesque family village, and a flamenco dance (to Miles Davis music). As usual, there are also reminders of the downsides of modern urban life, though some of the references to drugs and unemployment are a little forced and superfluous. All in all, this is a great pictorial story teller telling perhaps not his greatest tale, but certainly one worth listening to and seeing.

Flor is one of Pedro's understated best. The incomparable Marisa Paredes gives this film its ultimate power. Her extraordinary face details every nuance of the loss of her marriage--"abandonment," as Sr. Almodovar labels it. The rich flamenco scenes reframe the passion and pain Marisa's character moves through during the film. And as nearly always, Sr. A. pays homage here to other works that have informed his vision--a barrage of brilliant and troubled women writers (Djuna Barnes, Dorothy Parker, Carson McCullers, et al.), and "Casablanca" and "Rich and Famous," for instance. I thank God for Pedro. Without him, life would be as the lyrics of the Bola de Nieve song in this film--"no me dejes vivir."