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Amazon.co.uk Review
Writer/director Pedro Almodóvar's dark, sexy Hitchcock homage is his best work since his Oscar-winning All About My Mother, and deepened by a sun-dappled sadness. Handsome, enigmatic Ángel (Gael García Bernal) arrives at the Spanish movie offices of director Enrique Goded (Fele Martinez) and happily proclaims that he's actually Enrique's long-lost school chum Ignacio--an announcement that is both less than convincing and more than it seems. A novice actor, Ángel pitches a semi-autobiographical screenplay in which he's determined to star, a revenge-laden reflection of the doomed love he and Enrique shared as boys before a paedophile priest cruelly intervened. The script, and the lost days it recalls, carefully unfurls into a series of brooding movies-within-movies and memories-inside-memories, which allow the sensual, multiple-role-playing Bernal to give the performance of his young career--among other things, he makes a stunningly convincing drag queen--and Almodóvar the opportunity to suggest, movingly, that people will pay any price to ensure that their stories are told. -- Steve Wiecking
DVD Description
Academy Award winning filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar takes a look at his own adolescence as well as confronting the issue of sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church in this stylish thriller, which was chosen to open the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
Bad Education narrates the reunion of two young men in early 80s Madrid, as the city starts to breathe a new air of freedom. Fifteen years earlier, in the darkness of a Catholic school, the two young men had discovered sensuality and a common hatred of the priests from whom they received their ‘bad education’.
Now, in the new and liberated Madrid, both men – a film-maker and an aspiring actor – revisit their early years together. As they try to uncover the truth about themselves, each other and the other characters in their story, they realise that things and people are not as they first seem.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a supurb film with a clever twisting plot. It centres on a semi autobiographical story written by one of the characters which is being made into a movie. As the film progresses it plays out as two parallel stories, one being the fictionalised version of events, the other being the actual events. It's quite a touching story revolving around 2 boys who fall in love at school while trying to avoid the molestations of an abusive priest/teacher, and then what happens to them in later life. It involves love, betrayal, blackmail and murder. Brilliant.
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
For me, this is the best Almodóvar film to date. The plot is complex but comes together by the end of the film and is gripping throughout (I won't go into the plot as the synopsis and other reviews can be viewed on this site). The performances from all the main characters (particularly Gael García Bernal) are stunning and the film takes the viewer through a gamut of emotions, from hilarity through poignancy and spine-chilling suspense. The film score needs to be acknowledged too: it is one of the best I've heard - somehow the composer, Alberto Iglesias, manages to fuse a Bernard Hermann (composer of much film music including 'Psycho' and 'Taxi Driver') style along with early nineteenth century ecclesiastic choral music (using a boys chorus). During the film - one of my favourite moments - there is an extract from the Kyrie from Rossini's 'Petite Messe Solennelle' - this moment is electrifying as is the music during the closing credits - don't reach for your coat, stay and listen! Not much more to say except that Almodóvar gets better and better as he matures, and this film is his best yet.
42 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have to admit I am a huge fan of Almodovar. He is known in certain circles as the Woman's Director, but the central relationship here is between two men. I don't want to go into the plot, as it is complicated, contains twists and too many characters that any explanation would spoil it. Suffice it to say, two boys become very close intimate friends in their catholic school and their story unfolds years later within the Spanish film industry. The two leads are excellently cast, especially Gael Garcia Bernal, who looks fabulous in drag.
Purported to be loosely autobiographical, this film tackles some very controversial topics, particularly the abuse of young boys by catholic priests. The film manages to illustrate this subject without being too sexual or explicit. It maintains pace throughout, and never fails to twist itself into knots. To fully follow the flashback/film scenes plot, I recommend watching it twice.
All in all, in my opinion, not as good as "Talk to Her", and probably not as widely appealing as "All About My Mother", but highly watchable for anyone willing to spend a while in Almodovar's world.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very moved by this film.
I don't want my review to be filled with spoilers, but as a gay man i found this film to be very moving. A film of love, tragedy, and wit. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. N. R. Partridge
Never a dull moment
As long as you're not shocked by men engaging in fairly explicit homosexual acts this is a film to be enjoyed for its clever use of parallel stories that keep you gripped, great... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Bluebell
Review for Almodovar's collection
I had an issue with one of the DVDs as it was scratched, however I received a full refund for all of the discs. Much appreciated! Thank you!
Published 15 months ago by Jozefina
Good start for your film collection
If you are interested in film, this is a nice selection of master Almodovar's films.
Published 21 months ago by Viv
Complex mystery and morality
Fascinatingly complex nourish mystery. A film-maker is reunited with a boyhood lover, who wants to tell a dark story from their Catholic school days. But is the story true? Read more
Published 22 months ago by K. Gordon
Shocking ... and maybe a little bit overdone!
I found the movie by accident between documentaries about animals, religion and life in Africa. Because of the current discussions about sexual abuse within the catholic church I... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Zauberlehrling!
A Stylish Thriller - Almodovar At His Best
The thought of watching a flick about a paedophile priest abusing young boys isn't my idea of entertainment, but watching another excellent performance from Gael Garcia Bernal was... Read more
Published 23 months ago by The Critic Ali Insane
Good collection
This box set has most of my favourites and makes up a good pick of Almodovar's greatests films
Published on 17 May 2010 by Ms. S. A. Fleming
Better late than never.
This is an excellent collection by the master of this genre, especially if you are studying Spanish, but don't let that put you off. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2010 by F. A. Bourne
No subtittles removables
I found that two films of this box have english subtittles not removables, they are "tie me up tie me down" and "bad education". However you can read on their boxes... Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2009 by Julio Reinoso
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