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I watched it tonight with my b/f who is spanish-speaking without subtitles. Quite frankly, it felt like I didn't really need them most of the time. And the way Almodovar weaves colours into his scenes and characters is just amazing, I don't know anyone else who does it so expertly.
The scene in which Penelope Cruz sings is simply stunning, words are very unnecessary in this particular case, there's no way to describe it. And I thought he couldn't top it after La Mala Educacion.

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I finally saw it a couple of days ago and i saw it actually two times, the first time it was an ok movie and the second time, believe it or not, i found it to be even better: funnier and saw more the links between the stories and the whole thing seemed to have more cohesion, i found it to be very entertaining, and Penelope is fantastic, she's so much better in spanish than in english -wich i think hinders her performances still.

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Originally Posted by Magnifiscent I've always beem a huge fan of Almodòvar, and imo, together with Amenabar, he's one of the best spanish directors. Don't miss also to check out "High heels" and "Kika", two really intriguing and exilarant movies from Pedro. I find Amenabar's films (and style) so unoriginal - he wears his influences so visibly on his sleeve that it's irritating. 'The Others' was simply a rip-off of 'The Sixth Sense' - why that film was a box office success is beyond me (but, then again, I can't stand Nicole Kidman). 'Abre Los Ojos' (or 'Vanilla Sky') is probably the best thing he's done so far (and that was a slightly patchy affair in itself). The films by Julio Medem are far better, IMO.
I've seen all of Almodòvar's films (apart from Volver) and they're all worth watching. However, I would advise you to avoid 'Matador' - that's the only stinker he's made so far. His films from the early eighties are so OTT and entertaining but lacking in substance. IMHO, it's only since the late '90s that his films began to possess an emotional core (and therefore more substance), which began with 'Live Flesh' (1997). But, yes, watch them all and judge for yourself.

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Which one is the best film from Almodovar in your opinion?
All about my mother is my favourite, followed close by Live Flesh and Talk to her

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I love Todo Sobre mi madre, ¡Átame! and others, but Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios is still my favorite.

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From a subjective point of view, I'd choose 'All About My Mother' - I found it to be his most emotionally substantial film (and it also moved me in a profound way). 'Live Flesh' would be a close second for me as well. 'Talk To Her' and 'Bad Education' are based on darker, more sinister themes but I love them both too.
'Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown' was his first real classic, simply because he managed to hone in writing and directing skills with great aplomb (I really have to watch this one again sometime). His first two or three films only served to shock more than anything else (just watch 'Pepi, Luci and Bom' to know what I'm talking about). The films in bewteen these two periods saw Almodovar attempting to take his art more seriously (with varying results). However, around this point, his directing and production techniques had gradually improved.
Unfortunately, after 'Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown', I think he lost his way a bit - maybe he felt he'd discovered 'the magic formula' and wanted to milk it as much as possible. After 'Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!' (say no more) and 'Kika' (try watching the 'extremely humourous' rape scene in a public cinema - should you 'appreciate' this style of humour or be totally disgusted?), the critics accused him of misogyny and exploitation (and rightfully so). The problem was, he wasn't really addressing these taboo subjects in a sensitive and intelligent way - instead, he was using them as a foundation for his perverse sense of humour. I'm aware that Spaniards are about 20 years behind on certain attitudes (especially with regards to political correctness), but many felt he had gone too far.
I think 'The Flower of My Secret' was probably his reponse to the 'backlash', even though I found it to be one of his least interesting works. Here, he tries to re-address the balance - focusing on the emotional aspects more than ever before. I don't think he got the balance right, by this point, but he was certainly getting there (it was also probably his least humourous film, which would suggest he was still a bit sore from all the harsh criticism around this time). The follow-up, 'Live Flesh', proved that he had perfected his style, while becoming more self-conscious about the limits of his humour (or, to be precise, the issues that his humour is based on). As a result, his most recent films reflect a more mature and sensitive director who's learnt from his mistakes.

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Forgive me, this is off-topic, but maybe not too much.
Antonio Banderas has appeared in several Almodovar films. He's quite a good actor as well as being a handsome fellow.
He has some perfumes, as you know. People say in BN about how Banderas men's colognes suck. I like to try things myself, to avoid peer pressure and see if I might like it anyway. So when I saw the new cologne "Antonio" in the store, I decided to check it out.
I know you folks think the Banderas colognes are just awful, but after trying this, I have to disagree - this one, "Antonio", is... worse than awful.
I got that stuff off fast! Come to think of it, Antonio's US movies are mostly pretty awful, so I should have known.

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I am surprised La Mala Educacion has not been as universally praised as Talk To Her and All ABout My Mother. Almodovar said it was his most personal movie and I relate to Educacion more than to any other of his movies, as brilliant as they are. It was also strikingly different considering it completely lacked a main female character.... La Mala Educacion for me as the ultimate Almodovar-defining movie.

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Originally Posted by Trebor I find Amenabar's films (and style) so unoriginal - he wears his influences so visibly on his sleeve that it's irritating. 'The Others' was simply a rip-off of 'The Sixth Sense' - why that film was a box office success is beyond me (but, then again, I can't stand Nicole Kidman). 'Abre Los Ojos' (or 'Vanilla Sky') is probably the best thing he's done so far (and that was a slightly patchy affair in itself). Well, I find Vanilla Sky to be an unworth remake of 'Abre Los Ojos' in holliwood sause... the use of colours and light in the original one speaks itself. Again about "The others" if I can agree with you being the screenplay along the same lines of the sixth sense, Nicole plays far better than Bruce (after all this is the only movie in which he doesn't play dressed in a sweaty tank top nah? ) and the movie itself is well directed imo.
But, again Trebor, as for scents, to each his own.

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Originally Posted by Magnifiscent Well, I find Vanilla Sky to be an unworth remake of 'Abre Los Ojos' in holliwood sause... the use of colours and light in the original one speaks itself. Again about "The others" if I can agree with you being the screenplay along the same lines of the sixth sense, Nicole plays far better than Bruce (after all this is the only movie in which he doesn't play dressed in a sweaty tank top nah? ) and the movie itself is well directed imo.
But, again Trebor, as for scents, to each his own. Yes, I have to agree that 'Abre Los Ojos' was far superior to 'Vanilla Sky' (which I watched only out of boredom). As for 'The Others', so what if Nicole Kidman's acting was better than Bruce Willis'? It's still a very unoriginal film, especially when you take into account how many years apart these two releases were.
As for Nicole Kidman's acting, I found her to be over dramatic and (at times) unnecessarily hysterial. A brilliant film usually comprises of an original script/screenplay; an imaginative director; great acting, editing and soundtrack music (if any). I'm sorry, but whether or not Nicole Kidman was 'good' doesn't excuse the fact that this film was utter tosh.
Oh, and btw, Amenabar's fixation with Hitchcock has become extremely grating. If there's one thing I've learnt about Spanish cinema and music is how much they attempt to 'emulate' their English/American idols - and usually failing miserably. Almenebar is well established now and, yet, has still failed to forge an identity for himself! Even Almodovar had the good sense to develop this from his very first film, no matter how sketchy his initial vision was.
Bigas Luna, Pedro Almodóvar, Julio Medem, Luis Buñuel, Juanma Bajo Ulloa - these are Spanish directors who have shown originality in their films (regardless of their flaws). Amenabar showed promise at the beginning but has now become both a devotee of Hitchcock (yawn!) and a Hollywood whore.
I dare you to watch at least one film by each of the above directors, and then come back and tell me that you still thought 'The Others' was 'fab'.