▁critics , ▁but ▁some ▁representations ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁accus ations ▁of ▁mis og yn y . ▁A ▁critic ▁from ▁Pop mat ters ▁wrote ▁that ▁what ▁" many ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁in ▁Al mod ó var ' s ▁films ▁do ▁have ▁in ▁common , ▁despite ▁their ▁character ization ▁as ▁victim ▁or ▁mart yr ▁or ▁hero ine , ▁is ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁surv iv ors ", ▁not ing ▁that ▁Al mod ó var ▁is ▁interested ▁in ▁dep ict ing ▁women ▁over coming ▁tra ged ies ▁and ▁advers ities ▁and ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁close ▁female ▁relationships . ▁Ryan ▁V last el ica ▁from ▁AV Cl ub ▁wrote : ▁" Many ▁of ▁his ▁characters ▁track ▁a ▁By z antine ▁plot ▁to ▁a ▁c ath art ic ▁re union , ▁a ▁meeting ▁where ▁all ▁can ▁be ▁understood , ▁if ▁not ▁forg iven . ▁They ▁seek ▁re dem ption ". ▁Al mod ó var ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁usually ▁write ▁roles ▁for ▁specific ▁actors , ▁but ▁after ▁casting ▁a ▁film , ▁he ▁custom - tail ors ▁the ▁characters ▁to ▁suit ▁the ▁actors ; ▁he ▁bel ieves ▁his ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁is ▁a ▁" mir ror ▁for ▁the ▁actors ▁- ▁a ▁mirror ▁that ▁can ' t ▁lie ". ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁believe ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁re defined ▁per ception s ▁of ▁Spanish ▁cinema ▁and ▁Spain . ▁Many ▁typical ▁images ▁and ▁symbols ▁of ▁Spain , ▁such ▁as ▁b ull f ight ing , ▁gaz p ach o ▁and ▁fl amen co , ▁have ▁been ▁featured ▁in ▁his