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Gracias al dios por Almodovar. What would the film festival be without the man who apparently no longer sees the need for a first name. I can't say that his last film "Bad Education" moved me tremendously but this film is a return to form in the vein of "All About My Mother" and "Talk to Her" and I have a theory where that's concerned.

This film opens with a wonderful shot in an ornate cemetery in a small Spanish village that sees only women dusting off the graves of their men who have long since passed because as we are told that is the way life goes in this town. Almodovar then within the first 10 minutes of the film makes short work of the only male character we are introduced to by name, "Paco". It is then down to the ensemble female cast of 6 primary characters to take us through the rest of the rather sketchy but charming story.

One can see why the entire female cast was awarded best actress at Cannes this past spring and also why Alomodovar is back on his game. The man simply knows how to direct women. Penelope Cruz has never looked so stunning or performed so believably with a sly sense of humour and a pervasive humanity that American audiences will never see in the likes of "All the Pretty Horses" or "Sahara". Watching Cruz on the big screen this morning had me thinking that this must have been the way audiences would have been captivated by Sophia Loren in the 60's.

The remainder of the female cast is equally stellar if not quite as stunning to watch and this takes me back to my theory. Gael Garcia Bernal and Javier Bardem are fine actors but they have to my mind given much better performances under the guidance of other directors than they did with Almodovar. Pedro captures women in all their colour, vibrancy and sweet music that they bring to the lives of us rather more pedestrian male creatures and for that I'd like to offer him a great big thanks.