▁films ; ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁his ▁films ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁shot ▁in ▁Madrid . ▁Spanish ▁people ▁have ▁been ▁divided ▁in ▁their ▁opinion ▁of ▁Al mod ó var ' s ▁work : ▁while ▁some ▁believe ▁that ▁" Al mod ó var ▁has ▁ren eg oti ated ▁what ▁it ▁means ▁to ▁be ▁Spanish ▁and ▁re app ropri ated ▁its ▁ide als " ▁in ▁a ▁post - Fran co ▁Spain , ▁others ▁are ▁concerned ▁with ▁how ▁their ▁ess ence ▁might ▁be ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁" another ▁qu ir ky ▁image ▁from ▁a ▁somewhat ▁ex otic ▁and ▁color ful ▁culture " ▁to ▁a ▁cas ual ▁foreign er . ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁however ▁acknowled ged : ▁"[ M ] y ▁films ▁are ▁very ▁Spanish , ▁but ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand ▁they ▁are ▁cap r ici ously ▁personal . ▁You ▁cannot ▁measure ▁Spain ▁by ▁my ▁films ". ▁Al mod ó var ▁is ▁generally ▁better ▁received ▁by ▁critics ▁outside ▁of ▁Spain , ▁particularly ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁USA . ▁ ▁Ask ed ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁his ▁films , ▁Al mod ó var ▁says ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁very ▁entertain ing : ▁" It ' s ▁important ▁not ▁to ▁forget ▁that ▁films ▁are ▁made ▁to ▁entertain . ▁That ' s ▁the ▁key ". ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁t endency ▁to ▁shock ▁aud ien ces ▁in ▁his ▁films ▁by ▁featuring ▁out rage ous ▁situations ▁or ▁characters , ▁which ▁have ▁served ▁a ▁political ▁or ▁commercial ▁purpose ▁to ▁" t ell ▁view ers ▁that ▁if ▁the ▁people ▁on