Fridae

Melodrama is to Pedro Almodovar films what cholesterol is to KFC - it doesn't just exist; it fucking oozes from every pore of its yummy, crispy skin.

Many critics have used the term "noir" to describe Almodovar's latest film Bad Education. True, it does have your quintessential noir staples. Lies? Check. A dead body? Check. Femme Fatale? Double check. But these qualities also exist in another well-loved melodramatic art form - soap opera. Unrealistic but incredibly entertaining situations? Check. The "evil twin"? Check. Verbalised asides accompanied by endless lessons in eyebrow acting? Well, forget that. Try four drag queens and murderous men of God instead. Days of Our Lives: The Feature Film, this is not. It's an Almodovar film, and don't you forget it.

It's almost impossible to even describe the plot without planting a "Spoilers Ahead" sign ahead of every sentence, but I will try my darnest. It's the end of the 70s and an inspiration-impaired director is visited by a young man who may or may not be his childhood sweetheart. He hands the director a script that he may or may not have written about their supposed childhood, which involves a drag queen who may or may not be based on one of the characters blackmailing a priest who may or may not be responsible for a heinous crime, which in turn leads to an outcome that may or may not affect the characters you may or may not believe to be real. It is a film within a film, that is a homage to other films, with parallels to a mysterious reality, which bleeds occasionally into the fantasy it has created.

While it all sounds terribly confusing on paper (which I'm sure has no correlation to the fact that I'm writing this review over a vat of Long Island Iced Tea), it all makes sense on film - at least while it happens. Almodovar is such a masterful filmmaker, we take in everything projected on screen and go along for the ride, never stopping to question the logic of the cogs that turn. Like the best of Charlie Kauffman films, Bad Education is an intriguing universe that falls apart when you attempt to pull the movie apart to examine the parts, and yet we don't feel the need to. It is a glorious display of solid storytelling.

It is also a demonstration of Gael Garcia Bernal's under-rated screen presence and continuous growth as an actor. Yes, the Mexican hottie is a walking wet dream, complete with gorgeous cheekbones and luscious, luscious lips. But we already knew that from watching Yu Tu Mama Tambien and The Motorcycle Diaries, didn't we? What we didn't know at the time, while we were busy perving over Bernal and Diego Luna snogging while getting simultaneous blowjobs from the object of their teenage lust, was the young actor's incredible range and bravery. He effortlessly switches between three characters, including a sultry drag queen named Zahara. It is a role where most macho heartthrobs descend into To Wong Foo territory, but not Bernal - he nails it without, well� breaking a nail.

Unfortunately, Bad Education is also an example of Singapore's ridiculous censorship system. In a time where Irreversible's brutal rape and The Idiots' growing hard on have been allowed, non-explicit depictions of fellatio and consensual intercourse have been snipped, despite the film's R21 rating. The difference between Bad Education and the other films - fags on screen. Simple as that. Fucking is fucking - there should be no difference whether it's with a girl, a boy, or a cherry pie. Making a distinction for a mature audience who by the way, both serves the country and votes, is an insult to everybody.

Bad Education is a gorgeous film that entices, intrigues, and entertains. It's a pity the censors don't get it.