Volver
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Movie Reviews of Volver
Movie Review: Almodóvar's Women: The Powerful Mystique, the Grounded Source of Humanity
Summary: 5 Stars
Pedro Almodóvar is this viewer's favorite film creator. His ability to wrangle humor, pathos, core feelings, endlessly fascinating characters, color, design, musical montage - all the elements of one who is in charge of every aspect of the final product - is matchless. He has evolved from the wonderfully madcap early films that continue to appeal today to the profoundly moving, human, verismo touched with surrealism stories that now grace the screens. VOLVER is a crown jewel in his growing flock of cinematic achievements.
Almodóvar both wrote and directed this story about women, a tale that embraces his obvious profound admiration for the Feminine while fleshing out a group of characters about whom we care deeply. It is a moment in the lives of several women whose pasts have been in some way abused by men. Raimunda (and extraordinary Penélope Cruz) is a working mother whose husband Pedro (Antonio de la Torre) is an unemployed slob, a worthless man whose misbehaviors include attempted molestation of Paula (Yohana Cobo), the fourteen-year-old daughter, who accidentally kills Pedro in his attack. Raimunda takes the blame, hides the body in the freezer, and continues her life of work and caring for not only Paula, but her very elderly aunt Tía Paula (Chus Lampreave) who is apparently being cared for by neighbor Agustina (Blanca Portillo) - who has been diagnosed with incurable cancer - but who is actually cared for by the 'ghost' of Raimunda's deceased mother Irene (Carmen Maura). A friend of Raimunda's asks her to care for his restaurant while on a vacation, a potential burden Raimunda turns into a successful eatery venture for a crew filming a movie. Raimunda's sister Sole (Lola Dueñas), a quiet hairdresser, discovers that the 'ghost' Irene is her real mother who has been in hiding since her supposedly incendiary death, takes her in disguised as a Russian to help her beauty parlor business, and understands that Irene wanted to return to correct some sad moments in the past, lies that must be confessed if her daughters and granddaughter are to have meaningful lives. It is the magical way that each of these women interacts to share needs, buried secrets and pains and support each other that makes this multilayered film glow with an aura that only Almodóvar can create.
To say more would break the spell for those who have not seen the film. Be assured that Almodóvar has not written a tragedy: his ever-present flamenco obsession (here a song beautifully sung by Estrella Morente but inhabited by Cruz!) his preoccupation with color, his flare for outrageous comedic scenes, his artistic camera angles, and his use of amazing graphics during the titles are intact and some of his best here. While the performances of Cruz, Maura, Dueñas, Portillo and Cobo are astonishingly fine, all of the ancillary characters are beautifully realized. The musical score by Alberto Iglesias and the cinematography by José Luis Alcaine are Oscar worthy also. But it is the depth of creativity frosting every aspect of this special film that once again prove that Pedro Almodóvar is one of cinematic arts' significant geniuses. Bravo/Brava! Grady Harp, December 06
Movie Review: Cruz Control
Summary: 5 Stars
The Rise of Cruz
This film @ 121 minutes passes much too quickly. Director Pedro Alamodovar, riding high on his last three hits; BAD EDUCATION (2004), TALK TO HER (2002), and ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (1999), delivers again. Alamodovar has been called,"the most internationally acclaimed Spanish director since Luis Buneul", and with this film he has soared to new heights, getting award-winning performance from the entire, mostly female cast. At Cannes , the actresses were all given the "Best Female Ensemble Cast" award. Alamodovar won an award for "Best Screenplay". Penelope Cruz has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress category. She won a Golden Globe a few weeks ago as "Best Actress", and the film won as "Best Foreign Language Film".
The director has given us a fantastic tale well told, a story of a "dead" mother, a dying aunt, childhood friends, sibling rivalry, two very different sisters, a granddaughter, several abusive philandering womanizing husbands and fathers -modern Madrid with its vibrant pace blurring poverty and struggle -a small village in La Mancha where the family grew up, where the widows all gather one day a month and scour and clean the tombstones together, singing and scrubbing amongst their flowers, a constant wind that blows both ill will and power to people and to the thrashing windmills that dot the barren landscape; a place where superstitious people believe in ghosts and curses and the frailty of human nature. Yes there are many dark secrets to be told through tears, and there are sordid touches of homicide, molestation, adultery, incest, and abandonment, fraught with unspoken unrevealed familial pain that has been harbored much too long -all told with the unblinking and colorful eye and lens of Alamodovar, somehow bringing us wondrous closure and logic to a minefield of absurdity.
Penelope Cruz as Raimunda has never been lovelier or more effective as an actress -sporting a Sophia Loren more ample bosom and padded bottom. Like Loren in De Sica's LA CIOCIADA (TWO WOMEN) (1960), Cruz sails through the full spectrum of emotions, dealing with incredibly stressful and tragic circumstances with the aplomb of an earth mother; sexy, charming, beguiling, and yet still so very vulnerable. For those of you who have only seen Cruz in American films, this performance is not the pale Cruz-lite, the Mrs. Cruise of films of yore -no, this is a much more powerful Penelope, who will shock you as you fall in love with her, and tease you as she holds your heart in her hands.
Carmen Maura as Irene, the mother, was likewise wonderful. She is one of those Spanish grand dames that have been making films there since she was younger than Cruz, 110 films since 1969. She is only 63 years old, and does this incredible job of appearing much older. I don't think there was one bad performance in the film. Lela Duerra as Sole, the younger sister was delicious in all her idiosyncrasies. Yohana Cobo as the daughter of Raimunda, and the granddaughter was perfectly petulant, moving through the miasma of plot changes with appropriate teen angst, warmth, and wonder. Blanca Portillo found just the right notes of loyalty, kindness, terror, and pathos for her Augustina.
Movie Review: A World Without Men
Summary: 5 Stars
There is a great scene in Pedro Almodovar's latest, "Volver" that encapsulates all that this wonderful, resonant movie is about: Raimunda (a sexy, earthy Penelope Cruz who has never been better on screen) sings a gypsy/flamenco style song, having not sang in public for many years but in possession of a gorgeous singing voice, while her mother Irene (the legendary Carmen Maura), thought to be dead , discretely listens from afar. Almodovar's camera cuts between mother and daughter, both totally committed emotionally to the scene, both recalling their former lives together, estranged for years but still possessing that particular brand of love that exists only between a Mother and her daughter, both longing for lives without trials and tribulations and fear, lives without problems, without cares. "Volver" (which means to return, to come back) is nothing if not about returning to the innocence of youth: to a time when Love abounded and came without a price and without consequences. But "Volver" is also about second chances, re-tooling you life albeit, Almodovar-style which always involves some manner of the strange, the violent sometimes and the weird. This line towards re-tooling/re-imagining your life is not a straight one by any means but a zigzagged one going from "a" to "g" more often than from "a" to "b."
In "Volver" we have the extraordinary character of Raimunda played to the hilt by Penelope Cruz who has always been better in her native Spanish than she's ever been in her English films. Raimunda is strong, decisive, hard-working, married to a lout, a devoted mother and sister of Soledad (Lola Duenas) with whom she shares a strong bond now that their parents are dead.
"Volver" is a film almost totally without men except Paco, Raimunda's husband and Paula's (Raimunda's daughter)father who leaves the film early on and as such it reminds me of the Neo-Realist film classics of the WW2 era, "Open City" and the Sophia Loren starring "Two Women." But in this world without men that is "Volver" nothing seems amiss because the world that Almodovar has created is rich with well defined woman's roles: compassionately written and more importantly profoundly and deeply executed by the ensemble of actors that Almodovar has assembled: Cruz, Maura, Duenas and Blanca Portillo as Angelina.
Once again with "Volver," Almodovar has returned to the world of women alone and it is a film primarily about but definitely not only for women: their power over us, their weaknesses, their hopes, their desires. But "Volver" also shows us that mysterious inner core that all women possess which gives them an edge, a wisdom that men don't have. Call it maturity, call it a security, call it a special strength. You can even call it "feminine intuition." But, call it what you like, it's there, only women have it and lucky man, Pedro Almodovar is on a first name basis with it.
Movie Review: All About the Mothers and Daughters and the Very Best of Penelope Cruz!
Summary: 5 Stars
Volver is probably Almodovar's best work about women living in pain, chaos, trauma, and hardship since All About My Mother. I can't decide which film is more superior, because both movies deals with motherhood in a different way and I enjoyed the actresses just as much especially Penelope Cruz who literally poured her heart and soul into the role of Raimunda, and I won't be surprised if she gets her first Oscar nom. Both films serve up equal amount of comic and dramatic moments and every actresses in Volver gets to shed a bucket of tears. I would say this film is less daring or provocative since it doesn't cover subjects like transgenderism, homosexuals, and prostituation that was seen in All About My Mother. It concentrates on the subject of incest, abuse, and abandonment, murder, revenge, and reconcillation. It's marvellous that first time Cruz gets a role that's so much more challenging and entertaining then her other acclaimed roles in films like Don't Move and Woman On Top, and she was able to make me smile, laugh, and move me tears.
Penelope Cruz had so many mesmerizing moments in this film. The scene when she rejects to have sex with her drunk and horny husband and he procedds to masterbate beside her causing to silently shed her tears was one of the early moments in the film that captivated me. One of ther more striking moments came in when she held her daughther and cried until her mascara ran. At that moment the audiences do not know why the accidental murder of her husband by her daughter was so impacting to her, but it had devastated her more then it did for her teenage daughter. Between these kind of emotional and dramatic moments, there's a right amout of comic relief from other brilliant female characters. Carmen Maura was quite funny at first playing a mysterious and goofy "ghost" came back from the dead to fulfill her last wishes. Beneath the surface, this woman had endured her share of rage, vengence, regret, and she was abandoned by her daughter(Raimunda). She seeks her daughter's forgiveness and wanted to make amends to her. There was this scene when she was hidding in the car while listening to Raimunda singing a song that was taught by her to a film crew at the restaurant, she started to cry at the same time when her daughter was crying during the singing, and that was a very memorable moment in this film. It was amazing to see cruz sing that song which reflects 20 years of emotions and she was able to look so natural while crying at the same time. Both Lola Duenas and Blanca Portillo had turned in wonderful supporting performances.
As always, I just loved the cinematography, the art direction/set dec, and the beautiful score. This film is very enjoyable to watch and it's rare that an art film can be so entertaining and it's no doubt an international crowd-pleaser!
Movie Review: The Reason Why the Spanish Cinema is So Great!
Summary: 5 Stars
Pedro Almodóvar, the king of Spanish cinema is back with Volver, a film with a lot of humor, but also the finest drama.
The story, written by Almodóvar himself, is original and has great twists and surprises for you to enjoy.
The story in short without any spoilers:
Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) is a young mother and together with her sister Sole (played by Lola Dueñas) who has an illegal barbershop, they always clean their mother and father's grave, who have passed away long ago. They both have their own problems, and Raimunda experienceses a big one together with her daughter Paula (played by Yohana Cobo),which I'm not gonna tell, you'll see.
But then, suddenly, the mother (played by Carmen Maura) returns from her grave as a spirit, because she has some unfinished business to complete before she can rest in peace. So with their mother walking around, some big problems here, and some little problems there, Volver is a delighted comedy and drama at the same time that will entertain you endlessly!
Penélope Cruz is absolutely fantastic in this film. The problem with her acting in Hollywood is that she can never really show that she can really act because of the language that doesn't come out as fluently as Spanish (Not that she is terrible when she acts in English, she is a wonderfull actress, but still, you don't feel like it is her 100% because of the language barriar). Now, in her own language, Penélope shows she can really act and steals the show. She really gave me goosbumps in some of her scenes because she can act emotionally very realisticly which absolutely grabbed me. Expect acting from the highest level!
The rest of the cast is also fantastic and they all act great. It is an absolute star cast where nobody is out of place or not good: maqnificent job!
Even though the film is completely spoken in Spanish, you'll have no problem getting into this film. When the first scene appeared on the screen, I was so into it, that I was not even noticing that I was still reading the subtitles. And thats the power of the Spanish cinema. Volver shows how great Spanish movies can be. It is a fantastic film that will make you laugh, cry and entertain you till the very end.
I don't know how it will go with you, but after seeying this film in the cinema, I can offically say that I am sold to the Spanish cinema: Mucho Gracias!
So I will probally Volver (return) to the cinema for more Spanish delight in the future!
Enjoy and Let yourself be grabbed by the story, the emotion, the comedy and the acting: entertainment from the highest sort. So go and see this, cause it will be in your mind for some time!