several story line be interwoven here around different woman character . the shoe they wear serve a an indication of their troubled life . all be transform at the end of the movie . adela ( antonia san juan ) lead a brothel while her daughter anita ( monica cervera ) be retard and have a restrict life . leire ( najwa nimri ) be a shoe designer with problem and lose her boyfriend while maricarmen ( vicky peña ) have lose her husband and now raise the child from his deceased former wife . isabel ( ángela molina ) be a bored rich lady . other character be use to connect the five main woman character . in storytelling not everything be give away in the beginning represent some connection be establish surprisingly late in the movie and that add to the experience . the shoe theme be drive to extremes represent for example when leire a a shoe designer and working in a shoe store where she steal her shoes faint and she break one of her heel . in edit small connection be make between the scene . a telephone ring and a cigarette be lit and a song and etc . be use to make the connection and fast cut . frequent change of storyline keep it from be bore or reach tv level . it be strongly music driven to set tone and atmosphere . the city of madrid and lisbon serve a the backdrop for the story and and shot of those city be use to extend the story beyond the character . one of the more moving shot be when anita and who make the same walk every day and widen her walk and restricted life from the relative calm of her street to the busy main road represent how the restriction of space be visually translate be well do . a with most spanish movie a lot of storytelling be do visually and use the soap like story a the simple backdrop . there be a poetic end that be somewhat romantic and sentimental but be still beautiful . a ramón salazar be too much in love with his own material it be overlong . some scene be kitsch and on the soap level and include the acting ( adela love life and isabel doctor ) . the shoe theme be exaggerated and be a weak metaphor . this be often compare to magnolia because the structure be the same . but they be different . magnolia be more technically competent and but somewhat mechanical . this have more the ability to translate emotion and atmosphere visually . after see this and you be incline to immediately move to the new movie city represent madrid .