Review: Volver
I’m really beginning to love Pedro Almodóvar. I was a bit shakey after watching A Bad Education but he’s completely redeemed himself with Volver. I think it’s that he captured – again – the complicated female world of All About My Mother which won him my affections to begin with. But on to the review…
Volver is nuts. “Loco,” if you will. The story twists and turns and falls into and out of itself in so many breathtaking ways. It’s one of those films where you know from the very beginning that there is no way you are going to be able to call the punchline anytime before the 3/4 mark. (I did, by the way, which was enough of an accomplishment to be brag-worthy.)
Basically, the entire premise of Volver is the notion that a departed loved one can come back to us. In this case, it’s Raimunda’s (Penélope Cruz) mother. What would you make right about your past if you had the chance to approach the task with the wisdom of time and loss? It wasn’t this simple, of course. There was the incestual relationship that produced Raimunda’s daughter, Paula. And the murder of Paula’s stepfather, Paco. Let’s not forget the seemingly crazy dying wish of Raimunda’s childhood friend, Augustina, to learn more about a family tragedy that only the dead could remember. And the list goes on.
The whole film takes place in between Madrid and Raimunda’s childhood village. It glitters with ornate Spanish tiles. It shocks the eyes with vibrant dresses and stark white stucco. And it positively glows with the radiant personalities of Almodóvar’s characters. As flawed as they all are, you want to be embraced into their world…and into their families. I mean, who hasn’t buried the husband their daughter has killed in a freezer stolen from the restaurant they’ve illegally taken over? It’s a universal story.
100% recommended. You should add it to your Netflix Queue (if you are so inclined) or pick up a copy from the local video store. I’d even venture to say it’s good enough to own. 4 stars, dear readers, 4 stars.
