Pecado de amor

This deliciously camp Spanish musical opens with the unlikely sight of Sara Montiel - primly voluptuous sex-symbol of Franco's Spain - dressed in a nun's habit. At first, you think this must be some sort of con-job (like Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act) but then you realise that no, her character actually is a nun!

She became a nun, of course, to atone for a life of depravity and sin. The story proper is told in flashback. We see her rise from murky origins to become a world-famous nightclub chanteuse - tormented, alas, by her love for a married man. Basically, this 'plot' is just an excuse for Sara to sing lots of songs and wear lots of extravagant gowns. She does both, of course, in the grand manner.

As if to recognise that Sara's stardom extended well beyond Spain, the 'story' sends her on a tour throughout Europe. Once she hits Athens, she dons a Grecian robe and sings a ballad in fluent Greek, in a nightclub whose decor resembles a Las Vegas version of the Parthenon. Now that's what I call an icon!