Law of Desire

A film director becomes involved with a young admirer who grows obsessed with him. His sister, living in the same flat, is dealing with her own past. The film runs melodrama, thriller and comedy at once; the shifts of register are abrupt and deliberate. The narrative treats desire as a claim of right and forces none of its characters into moderation. Pedro Almodovar wrote and directed, with Carmen Maura and Antonio Banderas; Maura's role is an early and visible instance of a trans character in Spanish cinema. A real warning: there is explicit sex, obsessive behaviour and violence. A relationship involving a child may also be found uncomfortable.