Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón

Pepi, Luci and Bom (1980) is a twisted sexually perverse comedy from Pedro Almodovar. The story revolves around three working class women living in Madrid, Spain. Carmen Maura (an Almodovar regular) is the star of this very low budget film. A meek house wife is slowly seduced by her lesbian next door neighbor ( part of a plot to get revenge on her abusive husband) is one of the many strange events that occur in this farce.

The seduction techniques are very "unique" and creative to say the least. The director flows the exploits of the three friends as they hang out in the emerging seedy underground of Spain.

A n interesting movie from rising film-maker Pedro Almodovar. You also get a first hand look at life after the dictatorial reign of one Franco. A lot of sexual repression and tension was released in the streets after he left power. How much can the average viewer take? Well since this is an Almodovar film, it's only for die-hard fans or if you like some of John Waters earlier work. Others stay, don't say I didn't warn you.

Recommended for viewers of esoteric foreign films.

B

All the energy put in Pepi... is enough to go and see it. That a young director show so much enthusiasm is a litmus test to see if he really loves his story, his actors... and the medium, cinema at large. Far from all those neurotic self-centered so-called authors who will only deal with their obsessions through intimate and intricate tales.

Sure, Almodovar gives so much in the first half (i.e. till Luci leaves her home) that the following is not so surprising and exciting. But he learnt later to build up his stories mastering pace all along. As for then he steps out from underground flicks yet displaying great skills.

He will be back.

If you're an Almodovar fan, this film is definitely worth seeing; others may find it a bit obscure. Almodovar's unique personality is already in full evidence in this first film of his to be widely distributed. Yes, most of its low-budget seams are in full evidence, but compensates with moments of outrageous hilarity that no one else would even attempt. It's worth seeing for the lesbian rock star's punk love song to her lover alone.

The first feature film from Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is controversial and shocking, especially the time it was made (although not that shocking in Spain), but also very funny. Basically it is a movie about nothing, although it shows a pop-culture that Almodóvar inhabited.

We see how Pepi (Carmen Maura) is raped by a policeman (Félix Rotaeta) after she offers sex, although tries to back out, so he would not report her illegal cannabis plants. Pepi seeks revenge and she lets her friends beat the guy up. It seems they have beaten his twin brother so Pepi must come up with another plan. She tries this through the policeman's wife named Luci (Eva Siva) who turns out to be a masochist, perfect for Pepi's friend Bom (Olvido Gara) who likes to disparage her.

A film about nothing really, like I said. There are some nice little jokes here, sometimes because they are quite unexpected and therefore shocking. When Luci turns out to be what she is it is Bom who pees all over her; Luci likes it a lot. May be it is shocking, it is pretty funny too. There are more gags like this. One of the best moments is when Pepi has to make her own money, her father has cut her off, and she has an idea of producing menstruating dolls.

Filled with things like this, a sloppy editing and a cinematography that is as good as any amateur would do it can not prevent that this film is simply entertaining. It is not too long and therefore we can finish it. Still, I would start with another Almodóvar film, then see this only as an interesting debut.

Felix Rotaeta rapes Carmen Maura. She decides to get even by getting his wife to leave him.

Pedro Almodóvar's second feature is full of kinks and weirdos in a Spain where Francisco Franco is dead. Yet I find a naivete to this one that I didn't in his next movie -- his first feature is not readily available. There's plenty of drugs and non-normative sex, with sado-masochism and lesbianism and people rutting in punk rock clubs. Yet there's a tentative attitude to the way the director handles it, as if he's an anthropologist observing the natives, not yet ready to draw any conclusion. There's plenty to shock a conservative audience, but it lacks the deliberate, in-your-face offensiveness that he would later assume. The characters are wearily ironic about the situations they find themselves in.