Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  The flower of my secret has a much more serious tone to it than most of Almodóvar's films. It's not completely without humour but I did find it to have a welcome element of seriousness. I personally thought Marisa Paredes was brilliant in the lead role and I was entertained… More
  The flower of my secret has a much more serious tone to it than most of Almodóvar's films. It's not completely without humour but I did find it to have a welcome element of seriousness. I personally thought Marisa Paredes was brilliant in the lead role and I was entertained throughout. I can see why the Almodóvar hard core didn't like it so much though, his usual trashy flare is replaced by a rather sensible sophistication but I generally believe that this is among his better films. I certainly don't think you'd have Volver or Broken Embraces without The Flower of my Secret!

• Matheus C

  
  Minor but not less entertaining Almodóvar, filled with his usual visual flair and bizarre and soapoperarish trademarks.

• Jim H

  
  A romance novel writer attempts to save her failing marriage while pursued by her new editor. This Almodovar film is simple and simplistic melodrama. There are all the elements: an overly emotional protagonist who obsesses over the wrong man and tries to kill herself, a family drama… More
  A romance novel writer attempts to save her failing marriage while pursued by her new editor. This Almodovar film is simple and simplistic melodrama. There are all the elements: an overly emotional protagonist who obsesses over the wrong man and tries to kill herself, a family drama with a dying mother, and some coincidences too coincidental to be believed. All of the film's flaws notwithstanding, I found Almodovar's dialogue less stilted and her characters a little more realistic than I normally do, so there were some diamonds in the rough. But overall, it's mostly rough.

• Randy T

  
  A little more 'mainstream' than the Almodóvar I've come to know and love, but still very enjoyable.

• Lanning :

  
  It will take a spectacular film from Pedro Almodóvar to knock <i>Hable con ella</i> and <I>Volver</i> out of the #1 and #2 positions on my favorite Almodóvar list. After seeing this one, I'm still looking for that better film. This didn't really… More
  It will take a spectacular film from Pedro Almodóvar to knock <i>Hable con ella</i> and <I>Volver</i> out of the #1 and #2 positions on my favorite Almodóvar list. After seeing this one, I'm still looking for that better film. This didn't really strike me as bearing all the Almodóvar marks that I admire most. In fact, I found it a bit tedious. But I'll not give up my search. <b>Every</b> one of his productions is worth seeing at least once, just so you can know you've seen it. It's never a waste of time.

• Lady D

  
  Although this appears to be one of Almodovar?s best, in terms of the critics, I never quite felt that quality and feel it lacked the Almodovar stamp that sets much of his work apart from others. That being said it was watchable, but without any rise of excitement for me. I did… More
  Although this appears to be one of Almodovar?s best, in terms of the critics, I never quite felt that quality and feel it lacked the Almodovar stamp that sets much of his work apart from others. That being said it was watchable, but without any rise of excitement for me. I did like the references to PD's other work, but this was a reminder that this piece was not in the same league.

• Megan S

  
  Another good movie from Almodovar. Everyone in this movie has a secret or a different nature that they don't really show anyone. It was full of great imagery that distorted the characters like multiple images reflected in windows and split mirrors.

• Eric B

  
  If the word "dull" could ever be applied to someone like Pedro Almod&oacute;var, "The Flower of My Secret" may be the director's dullest film. The story is thin despite its diverse characterizations, and is wholly free of his usual spice and controversy.… More
  If the word "dull" could ever be applied to someone like Pedro Almod&oacute;var, "The Flower of My Secret" may be the director's dullest film. The story is thin despite its diverse characterizations, and is wholly free of his usual spice and controversy. The strangest element is just a quirky exposition where the protagonist goes hours without being able to remove some undersized boots. Maturely glamorous Marisa Paredes plays Leocadia ("Leo" for short), a best-selling romance novelist who writes under the pseudonym "Amanda Gris." Her marriage to a distant, military husband is falling apart, so she has become disillusioned with her literary niche. Hoping to expand her range, she pitches herself as a different sort of writer to Angel, the editor of a local newspaper. An attachment between these two grows and is quite sweet (pudgy, bearded Angel is hardly a typical movie lover), but there's just not much juice to the story beyond this. Mainly, the issue is about Leo being in the odd position of competing with herself, due to her writing being sold via three different identities. Leo's housekeeper and her son also play a role, but they're mostly included to justify an exotic dance performance near the end. A side plot focused on Leo's bickering sister and mother adds colorful dialogue but fails to go anywhere. There is a brief, fascinating glimpse of traditional weaving with about 20 minutes to go -- it added nothing to the story, but I'd be interested to learn more about this craft.

• Marcus W

  
  A story of life imitating art imitating life.

• Ina S

  
  Marisa Paredes is immaculate in this, she even balances out some minor weaknesses in the narrative flow. Fascinating and captivating story of a woman re-defining herself professionally and personally and distancing herself from a failed relationship. I did not care for the ending at… More
  Marisa Paredes is immaculate in this, she even balances out some minor weaknesses in the narrative flow. Fascinating and captivating story of a woman re-defining herself professionally and personally and distancing herself from a failed relationship. I did not care for the ending at all - but apart from that, another good one from Almodovar.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings