Almodóvar's valentine to motherhood, classic Hollywood melodramas, and really great apartments. This is the sort of film where everyone looks fantastic, and even the tragic figures die young and leave beautiful corpses. Cecilia Roth is radiant in the lead role, and the sheer hopefulness and resilience of her character, and of the film itself, will win you over. Affonso Beato's cinematography is sumptuous -- glossy reds and glamorous close-ups -- embracing everything the camera pans across.