"The Flower Of My Secret" (1995)

(Originally released as La Flor De Mi Secreto)

Starring: Marisa Paredes, Juan Echanove, Carmen Elias, Rossy De Palma, Chus Lampreave

First, The Lowdown: A fragile novelist scrambles to keep her life together.

The problem I often have with movies than involve an overtly neurotic main character is that after a while you want to strangle them for being such a yutz. This is the reason why I’m not as appreciative of Woody Allen as most people: there’s only so much hand-wringing self-martyrdom that I can stand in one serving.

Leo is a successful novelist who obsesses about her distant husband, Paco, who is enlisted in the army and stationed in Brussels. So much so that she wears his discarded boots while she writes. Desperate for human contact, she calls upon her friend that counsels doctors in how to properly suggest organ donation (and get her husband’s too-small boots off her feet.)

The friend recommends her to Angel, the editor of a newspaper that is seeking a literary critic. Angel is smitten with the lonely writer and impressed by her portfolio of work. His first assignment is to write a scathing criticism of the latest anthology by a popular and famously reclusive author, Amanda Gris. Leo states that she has no interest in Gris’ writing and demurs from writing about it.

There is good reason for Leo’s reticence, as it turns out SHE is actually Amanda Gris. A recent meeting with her publisher however turns badly: they’re disappointed with the work that she’s recently produced because it doesn’t match the theme of her previous writing; it’s too gritty and realistic. They remind Leo that she is contractually bound to write two more novels under the Gris pseudonym. In exchange for her work and the rather large advance paid to her, the publisher agrees to deflect any interviews and inquiries about the author to maintain Leo’s anonymity. Frustrated, Leo finds herself in a position where she can no longer write what she wants because it would violate her contract, but likes what she has made less and less. In a passive-aggressive form of retaliation, Leo accepts Angel’s offer and writes a scathing review of her own work under a completely different pseudonym.

Leo tries to find some comfort in a visit to her mother and sister, only to be driven up the wall by their constant bickering. Paco calls and announces that he has a 24 hour leave, but when he gets there, he informs Leo that he really only has a 4 hour stop over before heading to Bosnia. And that he’s leaving her. Now thoroughly shattered, Leo tries to pick herself up and finds an inner strength she didn’t know she had.

As much of a fan of Pedro Almodovar as I have become recently, I couldn’t help but expect there to be more to this movie. Everything is presented nearly entirely from Leo’s point of view, and in comparison with some of Almodovar’s other works, it feels rather claustrophobic.

Line of the movie: “Except for drinking, everything’s difficult for me.”

Three stars. Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.