I went to watch Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver without knowing anything about the film other than the fact that it is an Almodóvar film that stars Penélope Cruz, and perhaps this is the best way to watch it. Volver follows Almodóvar’s entry to international prestige, which he had earned with All About My Mother (Todo Sobre Mi Madre) and Talk to Her (Hable con Ella), receiving a Best Screenplay Academy Award for the latter film. As a filmmaker, his movies have been characterized with grim themes, and stories where strong leading characters (usually women or homosexual/transsexual men) deal with family and the troubles that come with them, men, disease, other women, and death.
Volver is a rich film: rich with culture, well-developed characters, clever dialogue, pleasing art design, and terrific performances. Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) is to some degree the center of attention, and this is easily one of Cruz’s strongest performances. The unconventional Spanish beauty will charm men, I am sure, but there is much to admire in this performance, and as disorganized and frantic Raimunda may be there is a power to her that is very compelling.
The other characters in this film truly make it feel as though we are following the story of an entire family, as dysfunctional as it may be. Sole (Lola Dueñas) is more organized, stable and calm than her sister Raimunda. Though both sisters live in Madrid, they still maintain regular contact with their roots in a nearby small town, where their aunt Paula and long-time friend Augustina still reside. All of the characters work very well in this story, whether they are only seen for a short scene or not. One thing this film achieves very nicely is the level of realism in the characters, and this to me is an indication of the excellent work of the actors involved.
The film is a very good-looking one, with conventional daily scenes made vibrant through the use of colors in the clothing and art decoration, as well as the cinematography. The film does deal with many somber issues, but there are moments of light that emerge, and these add a nice balance to the complete story. My favorite, for instance, is a party held at a restaurant, and this reminded me very much of the film Big Night. Food and festivity can look so amazing in a movie, and here we get portions of both, though as one character states, “Even if it’s more expensive, perhaps next time the portions can be more ample?” Even by the end of the film, there was a feeling of having experienced something rich and enthralling, but I suppose it’s a mark of success when I say that I wanted more!
My belief is that Pedro Almodóvar is in a period of introspection as a director, and that making Volver was some kind of break for him (and perhaps for us viewers as well; we cannot keep watching only depressing movies!), since we see most of the familiar Almodóvar themes. Mostly, this works well during the film, but in one case it felt a little cheap, when one character first learns of a disease. Very quickly though, we are expertly pulled back into the film and the resolution, to describe it in one word, is art.
Where he doesn’t seem as harsh with his storytelling as he had with earlier films, we can probably find that this is one of Almodóvar's most audience-friendly movies, and as such it could make a very good introduction to those who are unfamiliar with Almodóvar. For those who are very familiar with his film career, consider this a good dose of Almodóvar, and though it is flowery and reminiscent of his previous films, there is nothing to feel guilty about.
Volver is a story about women, and for women, though I am certain that men can find this interesting as well. Les gars, take your ladies to see something a little bit different than these action movies (North Americans will have to wait until October for Volver)! The film has recently screened at Cannes, where it is competing for the Palme D’Or. I don’t think it will be receiving many awards, but overall it is a very good film, juxtaposing the dark with the flowery. Flowery Almodóvar is still good Almodóvar, and I would rather have this instead of nothing before his next harsh masterpiece.
