Pablo Quintero (Eusebio Poncela) is a gay filmmaker whose erotic films become something of an obsession for youthful Antonio Benítez (Antonio Banderas). They meet at a party after the premiere of his latest movie, go home together and Antonio experiences gay sex for the first time. Pablo is considering ending an affair with his boyfriend Juan Bermúdez ( Miguel Molina), who has left Madrid to return to his home village in southern Spain. Meanwhile, Pablo’s sister Tina (Carmen Maura), an aspiring actress, is outraged when she learns that the director has used her real-life experiences as the basis of his next film. Tina is a transsexual, angry at men, raising niece Ada (Manuela Velasco), and trying to make it as an actress. She isn't the only one to have the knives out for Pablo.
When Antonio learns that his new-found lover still has feelings for Juan, he becomes very jealous. Antonio tracks down Juan, tries to rape him and throws him off a cliff. The death leads to Pablo's grief and a temporary loss of memory. When his memory returns, he learns that Antonio has taken up with Tina. The police suspect both Tina and Pablo for the murder--only a sympathetic doctor keeps them at bay. Tina decides to reveal to Pablo why she is a transexual, and announces Antonio is now her lover. Antonio holds Tina and Ada hostage in order to demand an hour alone with Pablo. A stunned and limping Pablo agrees, and experiences some tender moments with Antonio before Antonio suddenly kills himself.
This is a tragic love story of Antonio's obsession for Pablo. The mix of romantic intrigue, suspense thriller, and black comedy works very well, making it an entertaining and unpredictable film. It features direct and honest portrayals of gay relationships and stylishly homoerotic love scenes, with bizarre twists in a complex love triangle. But by today’s standards, the portrayal of gay men, lesbians, and transsexuals looks somewhat dated, with some of the characters coming across as caricatures. Bernardo Bonezzi composed the music, and Pedro Almodóvar wrote the screenplay and directed. The English title is "Law of Desire". In Spanish with no subtitles.
