Pedro Almodóvar's genius as a creator of memorable images takes centre stage in this intriguing and sometimes controversial insight into survival, male bonding and the nature of love. The emotional core forms around the friendship forged between nurse Javier Cámara and travel writer Darío Grandinetti, as they wait, respectively, for ballerina Leonor Watling and bullfighter Rosario Flores to come out of their comas. Amid the shifting timeframes and perspectives, it's the stylised set pieces rather than the unfolding story that really fire the imagination - most notably the audacious silent movie pastiche The Diminishing Lover, Flores's pre-fight rituals and the recurrent musical interludes.

Two men share an odd friendship while they care for two women who are both in deep comas.