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Almdovar's approach to the subject of euthanasia (the word is actually used in the dialogue) is poetic. James Joyce's haunting short story, "The Dead", is quoted whenever snowfall is seen outside the window. Flowers appear in nearly every scene. Our comprehension of death is not always estranged from beauty and love of life. The film makes a strong case for personal autonomy, but more through elegy than polemic. The film's pacing is never rushed as it approaches the inevitable, and never wavers. I have no doubt that this film, by the septuagenarian Almodovar, is intended for senior audiences, and I ask younger reviewers to grant us some deference.

I stumbled onto this movie on YouTube and was pleasantly surprised. At heart, it's a buddy flick with George Brent and Basil Rathbone double teaming George Zucco and Gene Lockhart. It's nice to see Rathbone in a light role; I wish he'd done more comedy. Remember him killing it in "The Court Jester?" George Brent was never exciting and I wonder at his success. But Ilona Massey made up for Brent's lack of appeal. The musical secret code is an ingenious plot device that affords us a couple of songs. There's also some nifty animation to demonstrate the code breaking. One final visual treat: we get to see the Lone Ranger without his mask. The young and very beefy Clayton Moore makes several entrances. Look fast!