Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Pedro Almodovar's "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" from 1989 is an earlier film from this quirky director. Almodovar's characters are inevitably off the wall and in bizarre situations. This film and its characters are no exception."Tie Me Up!" was given an X rating (later NC-17) for a couple of scenes and in the United States at least, it was quite controversial.The story concerns a recently-released mental hospital patient, Ricky (Antonio Banderas) who kidnaps an ex-porn star, Marina (Victoria Abril) currently making a low-budget horror film. Though the title suggests S&M, there isn't any. Ricky ties her up when he needs to leave the apartment.An expert in carpentry, locksmithing, and other usable occupations, Ricky had actually been leaving the mental hospital when he felt like it and then returning. During one of those times, he had a one-night stand with Marina. Deeply in love with her, he stalks her on the film set and, when she doesn't speak to him, confronts her in her apartment, declaring his love and his intention of marrying her and fathering her children. Marina, of course, would like to escape him, but Ricky makes that difficult. A former heroin addict, Marina has a toothache and explains that nothing will help except strong medicine from her doctor up the street. So Ricky handcuffs her to him and they walk to the doctor's apartment, where Marina receives an injection and a prescription. Later, when she needs more drugs, Ricky goes to the town square to score some and ends up beaten to a pulp. When he returns, Marina is horrified and begins to have real feelings for him. Meanwhile, her sister Lola (Loles Leon) is worried, believing Marina to have disappeared.There is a very long sex scene in this film that took 9 hours to film, with Almodovar using the last take."Tie Me Up!" launched Banderas in the United States, and this is his last film with Almodovar. He plays Ricky beautifully - as an innocent from a troubled background who will do anything to convince this woman to love him. Abril is a sexy and feisty Marina, and, like Ricky, she is a lost soul trying to find her way. Ricky is an orphan; Abril has a mother, sister, and nephew, but both of them are alone in their worlds.Despite the title and the sex, this is actually a sweet tale with likable characters. Almodovar often has a bizarre way of telling a story and making a point, but the results, with few exceptions, are well worth it.

Finally saw one of the films of Pedro Almodovar it this work which was rightfully called "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" As it's a good little take and spin on getting happiness and returning to it after being lonely and put away like the movies central character Ricky. Anyway Antonio Banderas is Ricky a former prisoner and put away mental patient who once had a one night stand with Marina(Victoria Abril)a now sexy porn movie star. As being put away for many years Ricky has developed an unhealthy obsession for Marina as he wants as soon as he gets out to hook back up with her and marry her! So upon release Ricky takes Marina hostage almost like a kidnap victim a damsel in distress, the scenes are funny and dark with Marina being tied up and having her mouth taped with duct tape all while resting in bed! This all leads to a crazy romance and once again some very hot and passionate steam like sex! All of this now leads to escape for both. Overall not everyone's cup of tea still this picture is provocative and a hot twisted take on love and obsession, so if that kind of thing is your poison taste then give this work a watch.

After watching Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down I have came to realize how mainstream society believes irrational, criminal and bad behavior is actually good behavior. I became quite disturbed from this movie. While this movie was shot very well and the script was very well written, the acting was superb, the basis of the story was off mark. After reading other reviews stating this movie is misunderstood, blah blah this movie is not misunderstood. I don't see how anyone could rationalize the behavior of Ricky in this movie. Here is this guy that gets out of a mental hospital and proceeds to stalk this girl, break into her apartment, knock her out and eventually tie her up all in the name of love. What's really sickening is the fact that Marina starts to like him. I don't know if this is due to a case of Stockholm Syndrome or what but this movie did not sit well with me. We constantly hear about how guys treat girls so poorly in society but after watching this movie it's no wonder why guys treat girls so bad after watching such distasteful movies such as this one. This movie pretty much states that if you want a girl to like you, you need to physically harm her, treat her like crap and tie her up against her will. I do not recommend this film to anyone that has somewhat of a morale compass.

¡Átame! is a charming film. It is emotional and full of small twists and turns. The film is about a man who just got released from a mental institution. He knows exactly what he wants, and goes to great lenghts to get it. He hunts down an actress he once had sex with - he wants to settle down with her and have babies together. When he finds her, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage in the apartment she lives in to make her like him.The film is very interesting, and another way to portray a love story. It's a about two people who have nothing to lose - him, no family and mentally unstable, whilst her, a seemingly unhappy actress with a drug addiction. With him having power over her and keeping her prisoner, he tries to keep her "happy" by buying more comfortable rope and tape to tie her down with. So it's quite interesting in the end when her sister finds and befrees her - she admits she is in love with him, even though she is very scared. It sends the message that people do develop some kind of relationship, even if it isn't wanted or even intended in the first place.I did like the film as it had a new, more realistic take on how love works. "Love is blind, love is free, love is whatever you make it to be" is what I believe love is, and fits this film's message well.