In the course of it, Raimunda (Penelope Cruz, far better and livelier than any of her Hollywood films) has her entire world--her ENTIRE world--turned upside down, as her family structure--maybe that should be stricture--crumbles around her, and she must turn her back on tending to the dead--except for that pesky secret in the freezer downstairs--and concentrate on the living by, ironically, embracing the past. Then, and only then, can she be prepared for a miracle of sorts, the "coming back" of the title. It's a film that celebrates independence and family and is far less controversial than a lot of Almodovar's past work, but full of great film-making choices, including some sequences of suspense that rival those of Hitchcock.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Volver
"Volver" (Pedro Almodovar, 2006) Almodovar film about the prevailing myth-making of Family, and the resiliency and strength of women.
In the course of it, Raimunda (Penelope Cruz, far better and livelier than any of her Hollywood films) has her entire world--her ENTIRE world--turned upside down, as her family structure--maybe that should be stricture--crumbles around her, and she must turn her back on tending to the dead--except for that pesky secret in the freezer downstairs--and concentrate on the living by, ironically, embracing the past. Then, and only then, can she be prepared for a miracle of sorts, the "coming back" of the title. It's a film that celebrates independence and family and is far less controversial than a lot of Almodovar's past work, but full of great film-making choices, including some sequences of suspense that rival those of Hitchcock.
In the course of it, Raimunda (Penelope Cruz, far better and livelier than any of her Hollywood films) has her entire world--her ENTIRE world--turned upside down, as her family structure--maybe that should be stricture--crumbles around her, and she must turn her back on tending to the dead--except for that pesky secret in the freezer downstairs--and concentrate on the living by, ironically, embracing the past. Then, and only then, can she be prepared for a miracle of sorts, the "coming back" of the title. It's a film that celebrates independence and family and is far less controversial than a lot of Almodovar's past work, but full of great film-making choices, including some sequences of suspense that rival those of Hitchcock.
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