In "Talk to Her" Almodovar took an ostensibly sweet relationship and chipped away at it until he exposed a very ugly, rotten core. I'd like to think that's his penance for this film in which he takes a very sick relationship and does his darnedest to make it palatable. Still, even after he makes Ricky the epitome of masculine achievement (He knows all the trades in the world! He's the world's most sensitive, passionate lay!), lays on a back story so thick with tragedy it would make Nicholas Sparks embarrassed, cannily switches around his music cues and sets up the sleaziest, least appealing romantic rival imaginable he's still left with a story about a guy who makes a woman love him by kidnapping and abusing her. And he still leaves us with an ending which has nothing to undercut its happy ever after - indeed not only is Marina crying from happiness there are also subtle clues to suggest Ricky inadvertently cured her of her drug addiction. Good on the dude for saving such a fallen woman.

Still a large number of smart people who detest the likes of Serious Moonlight seem to dig this one so maybe I'm missing something? Is there a general agreement that she's rethinking things at the end? Or is it just down to Almodovar's usual impeccable, zippy soap stylings?