Kika (1993)

This is a film quite like any other. It somehow manages to combine elements of romance, thriller, tabloid scandal, sex comedy, murder mystery, horror, drama, soap opera and even a touch of science fiction, in a story that is constantly unpredictable and original. Unfortunately, however, it lacks substance and seems rather to be ana ttempt by Pedro Almodovar to demonstrate his skill at handling various genres than telling a coherent story. Kika may be the title character but the plot constantly veers of in different directions, containing several disparate characters and never stays fixed in its themes.

There is no basic story at the heart of the film but I'll try to give quick introduction to the plot. Kika (Veronica Forque) meets Nicholas (Peter Coyote), an American writer of murder mystery stories whose wife has recently died. We next see Kika making up Nicholas dead step-son, Ramon, only for him to not be dead after all. Next, Kika and Ramon are together but Kika is having an affair with the womanising Nicholas, who has recently returned from being away. Meanwhile, Andrea (Victoria Abril), who used to be Ramon's therapist, is now a scandalous journalist with a schlock TV show, whilst Ramon and Kika's lesbian maid, Juana, has a brother, Pablo, who is mentally retarted and a famous porn star sent to prison for rape (Juana routinely has sex with her brother to prevent his urges causing more trouble).

As you can imagine, when these characters all come together, some crazy stuff is going to go down, albeit a little contrived at times. The main driving force is Andrea's persistently invasive interest in the three main characters, that reveal certain secrets best left hidden. Typically, Almodovar pushes the boundaries of good taste with an extended comedy rape sequence, lewd costumes and sex references, and helpings of incest and murder on the side. The fact that the majority of the characters perform in over-the-top, melodramatic style (particularly Forque), which betrays the dark subject matter, only helps the make the film more disturbing.

It would nice if Almodovar had exercised a little restraint and actually focused more on his stylistic choices. At one important moment of the film, a potential murder is suddenly discovered which completely changes the way we perceive certain characters, but then those suspicions are immediately confirmed, allowing for no build up of tension and no mystery. At several times, rather than following a lead to its natural conclusion, Almodovar simply gives the audience what they want and then moves on, having the adverse effect of frustrating the audience. Nevertheless, the film is constructed in Almodovar's distinctive style, providing a lively insight into the darker side of private lives, much as Kusterica explores national politics in such optimistic and exuberant style.

As with most of Almodovar's early works, they are a sign of a unique talent finding his voice, rather than great works in themselves, but always worth investigating if you're a fan.