A difficult film to assess.<br /><br />The cinematography is stunning---one of the most beautifully shot and constructed urban thrillers I've seen from any country. Visually it surpasses most American productions in its lushness and moments of brutality. In terms of atmosphere, it's unforgettable; the character in the rain, in the shadows of alleyways, the iridescent shimmering interiors (shot in some beautifully seedy Spanish settings).<br /><br />A wonderful star-turn by Victoria Abril also carries the film. Her character, who cruises for sex in public places, is in turns pathetic and fascinating and drives the film forward even when the plotlines lag.<br /><br />Without blowing the revelation of the film, this also proves to be one of the most virulently AIDS- and homo-phobic stories committed to film. The film's positing of a Gay character as a crux of the mystery and the final moments of the story leans on a highly questionable exploitation of audience prejudices and anxieties. Taken at face value, it's an entertaining, well-paced thriller. Behind the surfaces, though, it's reactionary trash which preys on hatred and misunderstanding of sexual minorities.<br /><br />The audience I saw this film with applauded at the end, for the bravura filmmaking and good acting. I left with a bad taste in my mouth and ashamed that I had enjoyed the majority of the film until the last few minutes. Depending on where you're coming from and how far you're willing to scrutinize the context of this film, it will seem like a good, well-made movie or typically hetero-centric bashing of gay people, so common in movies from any country. Or perhaps both?