As expected, Spanish giants Barcelona cruised to a predictable, if somewhat unimpressive, win over Viktoria Plzen, recording a 2-0 score line over the Czech side, and strengthening their position in the battle with AC Milan for top spot in the group. The breakthrough came early for Barcelona, and was the result of excellent play from Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi.

The little maestro played a delicate ball into the box and to the feet of the waiting Andres Iniesta, who then calmly placed the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net, to the delight of the home crowd.

Despite enjoying near total domination over the visitors, Barca were unable to add their solitary goal in the first half, however the performances of players such as Messi, Iniesta and David Villa indicated that it was surely just a matter of time before they added to their lead after the interval.

Whilst Barca were enjoying a pass success rate of 93% and a total of 14 shots to Plzen’s 0, halfway through the second half, they were still unable to extend their lead over the visitors. Despite no change to the score line, home and visiting fans alike were treated to a show of exquisite football from Messi, with the player exhibiting his full range of tricks, nutmegs, and deft touches.

If Messi’s triumphant display wasn’t enough for Barca fans, Villa soon gave them something to cheer about with his side’s second goal of the game. Messi collected a neat through ball from Villa, and when tackled by the Plzen centre-back, the ball bobbled loose to the onrushing Villa who calmly stroked the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

The home side came close to adding a third when Pedro broke into the box and instead of attempting a shot himself, passed the ball onto Villa, but the attacker did not have the pace to get to the ball in time, and the attack fizzled out.

Whilst many will be disappointed to not have seen Barcelona score more than their two goals tonight, the game was never in doubt, and Pep Guardiola will be happy enough with his team’s overall performance, if not with their ability to finish off chances.

The win does however keep them level with AC Milan at the top of the group, and sets up a match against the Italian side which will most likely decide the winner of the group.

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Almodovar has done it again. The Spanish filmmaker has once again wowed audiences all over Europe with his latest movie ‘The Skin I live In’, one of his darkest scripts to date that will make you squirm in your seat.

A brilliant plastic surgeon, portrayed by a cold-blooded looking Antonio Banderas, experiments with human skin in his well-equipped operating theater, a solitary palatial mansion where he secretly uses a young girl ,Vera, as his guinea pig.

Vera, wonderfully played by the talented Elena Anaya, and her smooth skin will play a big part in this chilling story as the surgeon keeps experimenting on her in order to create an indestructible skin. Vera is not only getting her skin replaced but also adapting a new look, specific features that might resemble someone else.

With a twisted plot that will make your brain guess and relate the facts of the story all the way though the movie, Pedro Almodovar delivers a bizarre storyline with a very superficial title, What’s more superficial than our skin?, and yet move us in so many different levels by exposing us to a raw representation of the human nature.

The script, that was freely adapted from the novel Mygale by Thierry Jonquet, has been considered one of Almodovar’s most elaborated stories of all time, drenched in a hand-embroidered universe of thrilling scenes that will throw you back to those of Hitchcock and Buñuel. You can still perceive the pure Almodovar elements in the visuals as well, let alone the music, composed by long-time collaborator Alberto Iglesias.

Leading a pack of fierce actors, the submissive beauty of Elena Anaya tries to get untangled from the abusive and aggressive character of Antonio Banderas, by using her sex-appealing fragility that differs from her surgically-enhanced super skin. Marisa Paredes, Jan Cornet, Blanca Suarez and Roberto Alamo help you shape and mold this tale in your head.

One more time Almodovar’s supporting actors are as essential and relevant as the leading ones. The filmmaker, two-time Academy Award Winner and recipient of the most emblematic awards in cinematography, is no stranger to controversy. He has been slammed by moralists and conservative audiences for dealing with LGTB themes, explicit scenes, irreverent humor or feminism.

This time around he is facing criticism for a rather violent plot and some backlash from the Spanish media, which did not stop his unconditional and devoted fans from making ‘The Skin I live In’ the second highest grossing movie during its first week in Spain.

International markets such as France, Germany or The United States have always shown a warm appreciation for his work making his movies both critically and commercially successful. In the United States, The movie premiers at the New York Film Festival on 12 October 2011 and then it is expected to hit theaters across the country just in time to get some Oscar Buzz.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/theskinilivein

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