Kika (1994)

More of an ensemble comedy than one would expect for a film titled after a single character, 'Kika' focuses on how the lives of several Spaniards intersect, including a widowed author, his jaded son, the son's reporter ex-girlfriend, a porn star, the porn star's lesbian sister and the makeup artist the sister fancies. It takes quite a while for the trajectories of the characters to overlap and 'Kika' seems a little all over the place at first with bizarre seemingly random incidents like a graveyard murder and placing makeup on a sleeping man thought dead. As the movie progresses though, everything fits into place surprisingly well with the highlight being arguably the funniest rape scene ever filmed. While a comical treatment of the subject might sound in bad taste, the media frenzy that the rape causes in the film makes for an excellent satirical target. The film is less about mocking rape and more about public nonchalance towards it. Almodóvar's satire would have, however, benefited from the rape occurring earlier with more focus on the aftermath and Victoria Abril who, dressed in full-body camera-suit (!), films and unthinkingly broadcast it. There is also a great twist with Peter Coyote's character that deserves more screen time rather than being thrown in at the end, but for all its unevenness and roundabout first half hour, 'Kika' is a reasonably involving motion picture at the end of the day.

Kika, a young cosmetologist, is called to the mansion of Nicolas, an American writer to make-up the corpse of his stepson, Ramon. Ramon, who is not dead, is revived by Kika's attentions and she then moves in with him.Pedro Almodovar makes some stylish, colorful movies and he loves his women. This film is no exception in that matter, possibly being the closest to an obscene movie that he has made (the sex scenes go beyond what you might expect from Cinemax-type movies!). It is interesting how what the Europeans do is "art" and if the Americans do it, it is smut.Peter Coyote has a smaller, supporting role. Exactly how he got in this film, I have no idea. And it sounds like he must have been dubbed, because the voice coming out of him is certainly not his. What strange casting. Not unique, I suppose, as many Italian films had American actors...

***SLIGHT SPOILERS*** In my opinion, the second best (after the magnificent "Todo sobre mi madre") film the Spanish "enfant terrible" ever created. Kika is a funny movie-but it's also dramatic. It has to do with showbusiness and its servants, those unscrupulous people that don't stop anywhere in order to force viewers to watch their garbage. Andrea Caracortada (A superb Victoria Abril)is a symbol of those people.Her performance is just one good reason to see this movie. It's also reccomended because of its infamous rape scene (SPOILER):It's hilarious and heartbreaking at the time A masterpiece

I had the feeling that Pedro Almodovar's creativity went downhill in the mid-90s, after "Women at the Verge..." Since that wonderful film, Almodovar has done nothing but to provide us with weak stories and movies with extremely unrealistic situations.I personally consider "Tacones Lejanos", "La flor de mi secreto" (yuuuck!), and "Kika" his less consistent work. Here Pedro Almodovar tries to stick to his formula by copying himself, recycling characters and situations he already sold to us.Besides the incredible plot-holes and unrealistic scenarios, "Kika" has two things that I really disliked in the film: First, Veronica Forque as "Kika." Ms. Forque has to be one of the most annoying actresses I've ever seen. She just will not shut up! Good lord! Second, seeing Peter Coyote poorly dubbed into Spanish is almost laughable. If you want to enjoy some good Almodovar, see any of his previous stuff. This movie is weak.