Kinky Sexy Funny

Movie: Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Year: 1990

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Writers: Pedro Almodovar & Yuyi Beringola

My Take: Ricky, played by a young Antonio Banderas, is released from a nut house after having been deemed cured by a judge. He immediately tracks down his favorite porn star, played by the beautiful Victoria Abril, kidnaps her and ties her up. He claims that he'll let her go as soon as she falls in love with him. With no ransom note and no clue as to where she's gone, her friends and family are at a loss. The Helsinki Syndrome plays out in absurdism, which Almodovar loves to toy with.

This film received an NC-17 rating by the MPAA no doubt in large part thanks to one particularly steamy bedroom scene and another scene in which Abril enjoys a motorized plastic frogman in her bathtub. The film received 14 Goya nominations (Spanish Oscars), but won none (Ay Carmela took 13 that year).

The Verdict: Not Almodovar's best work, but it's got a very nice dark humor and is very sexy.