The story content is not especially deep, but Almodóvar is spectacular with his visual effects and the dynamic way in which he can put his vision together for maximum cinematic impact. The intricacies he can manipulate and the no-holds-barred approach to what he wants to put on screen provide magnetism that is a hallmark of work by this outstanding Spanish filmmaker.

The performances are also compelling, particularly that of Gael García Bernal, the hot-shot actor from Mexico whose career is dramatically on the rise. (He also plays the young Che Guevara in “The Motorcycle Diaries.”) There’s a scene in which he dons drag and performs as a seductive transvestite cabaret artist and he is sensational. The film involves characters coming to terms with who they are and the complications that stem from the situations that build when a film producer is visited by a young man from the past.

That is the take-off point for the story, which becomes convoluted and holds surprises. In the process past sexual abuse surfaces, family relationships are dealt with and explosive homosexual relations are viewed in the film noir context. “Bad Education” is filled with strong material, and as with other Almadóvar films, this one will not be to everyone’s taste. But it is unmistakable the work of a very special creative artist.