▁his ▁own , ▁very ▁recogn izable ▁universe , ▁for ged ▁by ▁repeating ▁them es ▁and ▁sty list ic ▁features ", ▁wrote ▁Ger ard ▁A . ▁Cass adó ▁in ▁Fot ogram as , ▁Spanish ▁film ▁magazine , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁writer ▁identified ▁nine ▁key ▁features ▁which ▁rec ur ▁in ▁Al mod ó var ' s ▁films : ▁hom osex ual ity ; ▁sexual ▁per version ; ▁female ▁hero ines ; ▁sac ri leg ious ▁Catholic ism ; ▁lips ync ing ; ▁famil ial ▁came os ; ▁excess ive ▁k itsch ▁and ▁camp ; ▁narr ative ▁inter l udes ; ▁and ▁inter text ual ity . ▁ ▁June ▁Thomas ▁from ▁S late ▁magazine ▁also ▁recogn ised ▁that ▁illegal ▁drug ▁use , ▁letter - writing , ▁sp ying , ▁st alk ing , ▁prost itution , ▁ra pe , ▁inc est , ▁trans sex ual ity , ▁vom iting , ▁movie - making , ▁recent ▁in m ates , ▁car ▁acc idents ▁and ▁women ▁ur in ating ▁on ▁screen ▁are ▁frequent ▁mot ifs ▁rec urr ing ▁in ▁his ▁work . ▁ ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁distinguished ▁for ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁bold ▁colours ▁and ▁invent ive ▁camera ▁angles , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁using ▁" cin ematic ▁references , ▁genre ▁touch st ones , ▁and ▁images ▁that ▁serve ▁the ▁same ▁function ▁as ▁songs ▁in ▁a ▁musical , ▁to ▁express ▁what ▁cannot ▁be ▁said ". ▁El abor ate ▁dé cor ▁and ▁the ▁relev ance ▁of ▁fashion ▁in ▁his ▁films ▁are ▁addition ally ▁important ▁aspects ▁inform ing