High Heels

High Heels is a film about women: conventional, criminal, matriarchal, murderous, loved, loathed, and impersonated. More specifically, it’s about the passion and frustration of one woman, Rebeca (Abril), living in the shadow of her absent mother - actress, singer and Castilian drag idol, Becky del Páramo (Paredes). Abandoned as a child, Rebeca grows up desperate for her mother’s attention, going so far as to despatch her stepfather, and marry the selfish old harridan’s ex. When Becky finally returns from Mexico with designs on her old flame, however, tragedy and dance sequences ensue. Almodóvar pulls out the expected stops with his trademark juxtaposition of melodrama and high camp. The sheer velocity of rapid-fire Spanish and the non-native speaker’s reliance on subtitles, however, means it can be difficult to actually watch the action, let alone follow it. By no means up there with the classic Almodóvars, this is still instantly recognisable and satisfyingly silly. A chick flick with hidden dicks.