As you see from the other users' comments (the ones who liked the film, I mean), the director likes reinventing themes from previous movies. The links are a great insight into what he had wished to convey in his earlier works but hadn't quite fully expressed. It was the same for Ansel Adams, whose most popular work was actually reissues of his older photos, but with different photo exposures and significantly more dramatic contrast. I've loved watching Almodovar's tastes refine through the years (it could be argued that John Waters followed the same artistic maturation at roughly the same time). If you can, please watch this film with Spanish-speaking friends. There's just too much for the subtitles to convey, and you're missing out on facial expressions and backgrounds if your eyes are glued to the subtitles.
"Antonio, abre la puerta!" (sound of fan flinging)
"Antonio, abre la puerta!" (sound of fan flinging)