Almodovar's first international film shows all the traits that will develop throughout his career

Pedro Almodovar's 1988 film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which I think was his first film widely seen outside of Spain, is prototypical of his work: funny, farcical, characters in extreme distress and full of anger and passion (setting a bedroom on fire, hurling telephones through plate-glass windows, jumping off a balcony). It's fast-paced, has some really quirky minor characters (the cab-driver who vehicle includes nearly every amenity - magazines to borrow, snacks, a sign: Thank you for Smoking). As in most farces, everything comes to a head when the various plot strands converse, or perhaps collide, in a big smash-up scene, which Almodovar makes especially funny by having the characters, including police officials there to investigate a terrorist threat, drink from a pitcher of gazpacho that's been laced with a sedative - one by one the characters slump to the floor. Also notable and typical are the garish colors throughout the whole movie: everything, the costumes, decor, outdoor scenes, is filmed in harsh light w/ lots of blue-red color clashing. The plot is intentionally ridiculous and frenetic, a story of love and revenge in essence but with so many peculiar twists and coincidences all you can do is just laugh. Almodovar over the years has developed into a more thoughtful filmmaker with a deep interest in strong female characters (already evident here, with the women completely in control - or out of control, as the case may be - and the men comically feckless); this film is more raucous than insightful, but we see the artist at an early stage in his career - a bright star rising.