Volver
by Flick Chick Vique
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Volver charms 3 & 1/2 Red Vines for being muy bueno! |
He once lamented "...you direct a couple of successful pictures with women stars, so you become a ‘woman's director." Such was the fate of the great George Cukor after he directed the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Judy Garland to equal ‘Oscar' greatness.
Today, Spanish actresses have their own George Cukor in Pedro Almovódar. The prolific writer/director is undeniably the most internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker since Luis Buñuel (That Obscure Object of Desire, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie). With hits like Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and All About My Mother (English titles), La Mancha born Almovódar has a solid reputation for being a real ‘ladies man'.
Growing up in Spain, it was a young Penélope Cruz' dream to work with the Pedro Almovodar. She got her wish in 1999's All About My Mother. Now the luminous beauty has re-teamed with Almovódar with Cukor-like results. The buzz for an Emmy nomination is deafening. But personally I don't see it.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Volver very much and Penelope, like her co-stars, is fantastic. I just don't think it's the kind of meaty role her competitors are sinking their acting chops into.
Volver (To Return) opens with a beautiful scene of village women cleaning graves. Cruz plays Raimunda who, along with her daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) and sister Sole (Lola Dueñas), is busy cleaning their mother's grave. Once done, they bid the other women good-bye and make the trek to their elderly aunt's house before they go back home to a neighboring village. They are alarmed when they see how much their Tía Paula (Chus Lampreave) has deteriorated with age. Practically blind and barely able to get around, they wonder how she has been able to take care of herself since their mother (her sister) died. It is especially unnerving to hear Tia Paula talk about their mother like she never died. They learn from a neighbor that everyone, even the villagers think the ghost of their mother has indeed returned to take care of their aunt.
The women leave but Raimunda is haunted by her aunt's condition and frets over how to bring her to live with her family. This won't be easy because her drunkard husband has just lost his job and their place is very small. But that's just the beginning of Raimunda's troubles.
Almovódar's strength lies in his ability to really capture the complexities of being a woman. There are no whores or saints, mothers, daughters, sisters or wives. Women are portrayed as being all these things in one body and much more. You will laugh and cry as the women in Volver learn family secrets that should tear them apart but only bring them closer. And sweetly lacing all the dramatic moments are pure gems of gentle comedy.
As I said, Cruz is fantastic, but so are all those unknown (to most of American audiences) actresses. But make no mistake. These women are Spanish stars that shine bright in any language. I don't think Volver is Almovódar's best. But it is very good and I'll take good-heck-even mediocre Almovódar any day!
Did you see it?
Tell us what you thought of it!
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LADIES ROOM LOWDOWN:
I asked the cute blonde woman if she had just seen Volver and if she liked it. She lit up and said, "Yes. Very much." I asked her if she was an Almovodar fan and she said no, that they had come to see something else-couldn't remember the name-but then decided to see Volver because she likes "these kinds of movies". "The Painted Veil", her mother chirped from the stall. I asked her if she spoke Spanish and she said she knew just a little. I told her I knew very little as well and that I too, was reading the subtitles. As I tell people all the time, reading subtitles is a small price to pay for a trip abroad. And trust me, seeing Volver is like enjoying a tasty slice of Spanish culture! Penélope Cruz really sings in the movie with delightful results. The only fake thing is her luscious bottom. Almovódar said Cruz was just too stylized to play his one of his characters. Only big booties need apply! (What's not to like about this guy?!)
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