The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: Arts

Though Cruz is obviously the center of Almodóvar's attention, this should not overshadow some other wonderful performances. Lola Dueñas' Sole looked as if she just left a sleep study where they wake you every 20 minutes to see how you respond. Her character's name means loneliness in Spanish, and she's more than happy to spend the rest of her time running an illicit hair salon out of her bathroom. We can sense that something is missing in her life, and Dueñas plays the part without changing the tone of the film. Yohana Cobo is also excellent as Raimunda's prematurely wise daughter, Paula. She is old enough to understand everything that is happening around her, and we can't help but think that, for better or for worse, she is still destined to inherit the problems of the women in her life.

Almodovar's experiments with gender roles were clearly influenced by Spanish literary themes found in works such as La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca. Yet most of his films double as social shockers - taunting conservative society with loose morals and alternative lifestyles. In "Volver," he dangles a generous helping of controversy in front of us. But, in the end, we're left with just a taste, wishing for a whole bite.

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