When falling in love with another, or when another person falls in love with you, the relationship is formed by the ideas in your and their heads, specifically about your dynamic, your respective personalities, and the potential outcome of this love. Law of Desire is centered on this idea, unfolding through a chaotic gay love triangle that demonstrates the ways the ideas and fantasies can differ. And as the characters inevitably go through fairly melodramatic reactions when they realize the desires of another person, in the most colorful fashion (literally and figuratively), Pedro Almodóvar creates an amusing and daring examination of the genre it’s inspired by.
"This wild man has a true talent."
— Pauline Kael
Pablo, a successful film director, disappointed in his relationship with his young lover, Juan, concentrates in a new project, a monologue starring his transgender sister, Tina. Antonio, an uptight young man, falls possessively in love with the director and in his passion would stop at nothing to obtain the object of his desire.
After breaking up with his younger boyfriend Juan, gay film director Pablo attracts the attention of obsessive fan Antonio, which ends up inspiring his new play starring his trans sister Tina.
The trans Tina Quintero was portrayed by cis Carmen Maura, while Tina’s cis co-parent was portrayed by trans Bibiana Fernández, which is an interesting choice, but it’s the kind of casting decision that lines up with the themes of the film. While recently cisgender actors have been criticized for portraying transgender roles, this might be the one exception.
Happy Pride!
Berlin
1 win
