Flesh: “Talk to Her”– Almodovar’s Anatomy of Women

The gaudy, bizarre twists and turns of the film’s plot, influenced perhaps by the magic realism of the Latin American novelists Borges and Garcia Marquez, are extravagant even for this film maker, who thrives on flamboyant, unlikely extremes. But there’s a sober, well reasoned, and calmly paced subtext operating here too, and it has a special appeal for the dance observer. Using this trio of female figures representing three different generations, Almodovar examines an anatomical spectrum that runs from the peak of natural physical blossoming through the stages in which the body is transformed — deformed, if you will — in service of a vocation. Dance Insider, Vignettes 10/17/02