'Volver' one of Almodovar's best
By Anna Baldasty
Pedro Almodóvar's latest film "Volver" is aptly named, for the famed Spanish director returns yet again with a cast full of color, warmth and wit.
In typical Almodóvar style, the plot of "Volver" is whacky and absurd, but not without the director's playful recognition that the world he creates is both strange and beautiful, full of quirky characters, startling twists and, most importantly, women who find strength and identity in each other.
The plot centers on a mother, Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), who must cover up the fact that her daughter has murdered her father in defense against his sexual advances. Now, without the oppressive presence of a sex-obsessed, drunkard father figure, mother and daughter are free to grow together on their own terms.
However, a regained sense of wholeness can only be rendered when the broken relationship between Raimunda and her own mother has likewise been repaired. The healing involves a series of returns, both literal and abstract, that leave the audience wondering what kind of soap-operatic device Almodóvar will draw upon next.
"Volver" is expected to be the front-runner in the Best Foreign Film category when the 2007 Oscar nominations are announced. It emerges as the favorite because of its strong showing in most major European film awards of 2006, including a special Cannes Film Festival award in which its entire ensemble cast was chosen for Best Actress. "Volver" also won Best Screenplay.
Although Almodóvar is not yet a common household name among North American moviegoers, he has earned a devoted following among fans of international cinema ever since the 1988 success of his "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," Almodóvar's first film nominated for an Oscar.
Since then, two of his more recent films, "All About My Mother" in 2000 and "Talk to Her" in 2003, have likewise stolen Oscar golds. Unlike many European directors whose work shows only in the small art house circuit in the United States, Almodóvar's films have met both critical and financial success, in part due to their undeniable accessibility.
Moreover, Almodóvar's films are applauded by both the feminist and gay and lesbian communities, for Almodóvar himself is an internationally known, self-confident gay man whose work is praised for its complex intuition into women's lives. And yet what makes Almodóvar's work so appealing is that he handles such heavy issues with grace and humor. His films feel compassionate, not didactic.
"Volver" star Cruz's widespread acclaim among American moviegoers may assist Almodóvar in crossing over in America to mainstream recognition. Still, Almodóvar does not rely solely on the star power and sex appeal of his protagonist.
What drives the film is the original way he reinvents love, creativity and compassion as genuinely superior and transformative values. Women are indeed victimized, but they are far from helpless.
Women in the film form impenetrable bonds that span generations -- from grandmother, to mother, and daughter -- and dismantle traditional notions of masculinity. And by doing so with such good-natured self-awareness, Almodóvar returns in "Volver" with remarkable creative force.
GRADE: A-
Contact Anna Baldasty at abaldasty@scu.edu.