2008 Woodie Awards
The Reel Critic: Volver
Josh Wessler
Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: Arts
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MOVIE | VOLVER
DIRECTOR | PEDRO ALMODOVAR
STARRING | PENELOPE CRUZ, CARMEN MAURA, LOLA DUENAS, ANTONIO DE LA TORRE
If you've ever wondered how the Amazons survived without any men, just watch a Pedro Almodóvar film. In his latest, "Volver," Spanish for "to return," the acclaimed Spanish filmmaker brings us to an Amazonia in the heart of Madrid. It takes a lot to be a man in this movie - most end up dead. Even the good guys seem to simply float away. Not that the men didn't leave an impact when they were there. The women dominate, but they're busy assessing the damage the men left behind. The movie is, in the true sense of the word, a chick flick. Unlike the worst of the genre (which seems to include pretty much all of such categorized flicks), this film is about women crossing barriers and breaking stereotypes, not engendering them.
"What you don't know doesn't kill you, but if it does, there's always a chance to come back and make it right," may as well be the subtitle to "Volver." It explores the purgatorial space in between waking and death. After her death, Irene (Carmen Maura) comes back to live with her daughter, Sole (Lola Dueñas). The only problem is that she can't tell her other daughter, Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), because of a falling-out a few years before. Raimunda has problems of her own, however. Her budding daughter has caught the lustful eye of Paco (Antonio de la Torre), Raimunda's husband. Succumbing to the fate of most other men in the film, he soon ends up dead. The movie takes place in the wake of Paco's death, but there are few tears spilt. More importantly, Agustina (Blanca Portillo), Raimunda's pot-smoking hometown friend, reports seeing Irene's ghost haunting the town. At first Raimunda attributes it to Agustina's home-grown chemotherapy, but after a few corroborating reports, she begins to suspect a darker secret.
Penelope Cruz's only mistake may be that she is too perfect. Her presence dominates the screen and she draws attention like a magnet (due in no small part to a skimpy clothes budget). Immediately, we're left wondering why she's stuck with Paco, one beat short of the classic sexual predator (and one beer short of an abusive relationship). This is where the movie breaks down. Like the rest of the women in "Volver," Raimunda lives by the philosophy of her friend: "We take care of our dirty linen at home." There's no need to involve the police when your husband drops dead. The male detectives would probably botch it anyway. But, if she's so strong to begin with, why bother with men like Paco? The problem is not Almodóvar's message in "Volver;" it's that he doesn't fully convince us. In earlier Almodóvar movies, such as "Todo Sobre Mi Madre," there was a level of absurdity that justified the alternate universe he created. He attempts the same thing here, but with a more "normal" set of characters.
DIRECTOR | PEDRO ALMODOVAR
STARRING | PENELOPE CRUZ, CARMEN MAURA, LOLA DUENAS, ANTONIO DE LA TORRE
If you've ever wondered how the Amazons survived without any men, just watch a Pedro Almodóvar film. In his latest, "Volver," Spanish for "to return," the acclaimed Spanish filmmaker brings us to an Amazonia in the heart of Madrid. It takes a lot to be a man in this movie - most end up dead. Even the good guys seem to simply float away. Not that the men didn't leave an impact when they were there. The women dominate, but they're busy assessing the damage the men left behind. The movie is, in the true sense of the word, a chick flick. Unlike the worst of the genre (which seems to include pretty much all of such categorized flicks), this film is about women crossing barriers and breaking stereotypes, not engendering them.
"What you don't know doesn't kill you, but if it does, there's always a chance to come back and make it right," may as well be the subtitle to "Volver." It explores the purgatorial space in between waking and death. After her death, Irene (Carmen Maura) comes back to live with her daughter, Sole (Lola Dueñas). The only problem is that she can't tell her other daughter, Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), because of a falling-out a few years before. Raimunda has problems of her own, however. Her budding daughter has caught the lustful eye of Paco (Antonio de la Torre), Raimunda's husband. Succumbing to the fate of most other men in the film, he soon ends up dead. The movie takes place in the wake of Paco's death, but there are few tears spilt. More importantly, Agustina (Blanca Portillo), Raimunda's pot-smoking hometown friend, reports seeing Irene's ghost haunting the town. At first Raimunda attributes it to Agustina's home-grown chemotherapy, but after a few corroborating reports, she begins to suspect a darker secret.
Penelope Cruz's only mistake may be that she is too perfect. Her presence dominates the screen and she draws attention like a magnet (due in no small part to a skimpy clothes budget). Immediately, we're left wondering why she's stuck with Paco, one beat short of the classic sexual predator (and one beer short of an abusive relationship). This is where the movie breaks down. Like the rest of the women in "Volver," Raimunda lives by the philosophy of her friend: "We take care of our dirty linen at home." There's no need to involve the police when your husband drops dead. The male detectives would probably botch it anyway. But, if she's so strong to begin with, why bother with men like Paco? The problem is not Almodóvar's message in "Volver;" it's that he doesn't fully convince us. In earlier Almodóvar movies, such as "Todo Sobre Mi Madre," there was a level of absurdity that justified the alternate universe he created. He attempts the same thing here, but with a more "normal" set of characters.
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