Unfortunately, Cruz is not long in this film. She is a prostitute who give birth on a bus. The story is really about her son, whom we join 20 years later.
Now, hang on. Victor (Liberto Rabal), her son, is infatuated with Elena (Italian beauty Francesca Neri), but she is just a junkie who is more interested in seeing her dealer than him. They scuffle and the police (David and Sancho) come. Sancho's wife is fooling around, so he is drunk and gets into a fight with Victor and a gun goes off injuring David. David (Javier Bardem) heads off to a life of wheelchair basketball and marriage to Elena. Victor goes to jail. When he gets out, he takes up with Clara (Ángela Molina), Sancho's wife.
If you are not confused yet, it gets more interesting as secrets are exposed. Pedro Almodóvar has written and directed another interesting film. It ends just as it begins, but in a dig at the repressive Franco regime, with a nod to freedom.
It is a comedy, a detective story, a thriller, a drama - a bit of everything. - An Almodóvar paella for the eyes.