dholliday I'm no prude, not even close. And I have little time for most of the hysterical cries of modern middle-class feminism. But I believe violence-against-women to be one of the worlds' most profound (and common) problems and as such must be handled with care & respect in artistic mediums. There are many dumb movies which feature such violence but are justly ignored by the discerning viewer. Once Were Warriors & Nil By Mouth are two films which deal with this issue in an admirable way.Almodóvar is someone who's raved about by the intellectual film community, and as such there is a responsibility for the film critic to question his values where appropriate. His films glorifies the woman-as-victim image: or rather the woman-as-plaything (see also La piel que habito). Tie Me Up champions this value, glamourises it, and worst of all, romanticises it. It's the male-chauvinist fantasy those mad fems have been warning us about all along, except they probably don't recognise it themselves as it's Almodóvar.If you understand the psychology of women in abusive relationships, it's the feeling of being trapped and of being fooled by the perceived romanticism of it which prevents many from protecting themselves. It's a genuine problem, with lots of potential in the film medium as a dramatic premise. This film does the very opposite of shining a light on this issue, it merely encourages it. Those that claim detractors "miss the point", or "don't understand the irony" are missing the point themselves: there is no irony. It is what it is, and it is morally-irresponsible.Still, the film-buff in me doesn't want to rate it quite a 1/10: the acting from both leads is very good, and the film's technicolour is appealing.Recommended for those who want to decide for themselves.Not recommended if the negative reviews here have convinced you.

a-tsitsos After watching Almodovar's Atame i stood a little bit and had some thoughts about what i saw(something that happens almost every Almodovar film).The way that Almodovar tells he story is brilliant.Banderas's role makes the viewer that the plot will be evolve into a triller rather than a romance comedy.Almodovar once again chooses a female for the lead and once more he succeeds serving the action around his characters.The plot is such a unique story about a psychological ill man who loves madly an ex-porn star and kidnaps her,tying her down in her own apartment.He wants her to love him,but his sometimes violent methods seem that he won't complete his goal,but then there's the plot twist.Almodovar,whose movies are a mean of shocking the after Franco Spain,does indeed shock again.People in the time that the movie was realized didn't have used to live in a free Spain so the ignored some of their personal rights.Almodovar helps them to know their rights and respect the different.In this movie you get to know about real feelings,love and how it can be grown in the most odd places,in the oddest situations.Ricky evolves from an violent former mental patient into a love subject.Marina evolves from a ex porn star now on her zenith of fame into an understanding lovely woman who after many pleasures gets to know true love.Another funny element is Almodovar's alter ego the director of the movie Marina stars in.It is said from the director himself that he is a director of women so does Almodovar.Although it might not be Almodovar's best it is certainly a have to watch.I personally had a great time watching the movie.I don't believe that only Almodovar's fans watch this film as it is not his most shocking of his career(not like La mala Educacion,The Skin I Live In).A beautiful movie whose happy ending leaves you a sweet taste for tomorrow.

Rachel Walker Atame is beautifully filmed, funny, and compelling. In true Almodovar style it is controversial, as the story implies a woman can be forced to love a man, and because the audience begins to identify with and root for the captor and abuser, rather than the victim. The acting is great and Antonio Banderas plays the role surprisingly well. The sexual tension between Abril and Banderas is played wonderfully. Despite the film's rating, the sexual scenes are not unnecessarily graphic. Atame is a great film that deals with a controversial topic, however it is not nearly as thought provoking or moving as many of Almodovar's other films including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Talk to her.

andizapatagj one great movie. The best of almodovar till the date. The performances of banderas and abril are incredible as the script and direction of this crazy, sweet and incredible film of this extravagant Spanish genius. The most amazing thing of this movie is that it makes you wish the villain could win by the end of the movie and you're always rooting for the character of banderas even when you know what hes doing is wrong and that there are better ways to seduce a woman. You can understand him and later on even abril character ends up falling in love with him in own of the sweetest, smoothest and most romantic and passionate sex scenes in the movie history.