 |
Perfect condition, the actual movie wasn’t really my taste as I’m not really into that genre but I needed it anyway for work
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This is a witty and well observed film AND it has Penelope Cruz !
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Having been an avid fan of Almodovar since studying Alevel Spanish in my sixth form days, I have thus far managed to collect most of ALmodovars productions stemming from the 80s, and eagerly snatch up the next production as it is released. I await it with a small degree of trepidation and intrigue that most Almodovar fans may be able to relate to, as it is impossible to predict what the master of Hispanic, and indeed international, arthouse film will craft for his viewers... I was not disappointed with Volver. There are undoubtably some who may have seen some of Almodovars previous work and be reminded of graphic or sexually explicit scenes that may disturb some, as everyone has different viewing tastes. Although it serves a purpose in the portrayal of his storylines, its very nature can be disturbing. I would like to first point out that there is none of that in this film. Even the one murder that occurs is handled int he finest of taste, with no actual violence whatsoever. It ties in with the undercurrent of secrecy and lies that holds the plot's main family together. Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) struggles to keep her family together in light of her husband Paco's inability to hold down a job by working all hours in a number of manual jobs, to keep a roof over theirs and their daughter Paula's heads. When one night Raimunda returns home to find Paco stabbed to death on the kitchen floor by Paula, she is faced with the horror of Paco's attempt to sexually abuse Paula and Paula's ultimate act of self defence. At the same time her great aunt Paula dies suddenly, and while Raimunda excuses herself from the funeral, busy in arranging the disposal of Paco's body, her sister Sole returns to their birth place, the village of La Mancha, where she learns from their neighbour Agustina that the "spirit" of her late mother still lingers. Faced with the spirit, Sole brings her mother back home to Madrid where she works as her assistant in her home business. Agustina's diagnosis of terminal illness begins to unravel a terrible secret and reveals the tragic circumstances of Raimunda's strained relationship with her mother. What i really liked sbout this film is the way in which the story is carried along on a gentle, soothing soundtrack, which has made it so easy for me to watch as I laze in bed on an evening. The main characters are strong and well defined, and the actors breathe realism into the characters, even Agustina, a ridiculously proud and isolated character who I find it hard to believe would exist in real life with regard to the storyline she is involved in. Penelope Cruz in particular brings an incredible amount of passion, strength and bridled emotion to her character that at times you believe may erupt as the story unfolds. I particularly enjoyed the way that the secrets are not revealed until the last scenes of the film, when everything suddenly comes together and all the mysteries make perfect sense, tying all the ends of the storyline up neatly and sufficiently for the viewer. The film keeps up a steady pace throughout, and the peace between Raimunda and her mother and peace for Agustina brings the story to a good ending. There is nothing I didn't really like about this film. There are plenty of times it will make you laugh, but it is at the same time very thought provoking as you as the viewer are left to consider the consequences of the story on the relationships of the characters. Excellently done.Read full review
Peopled with superbly drawn, attractive characters smoothly integrated into a well-turned, low-tricks plotline, "Volver" may rep Almodovar's most conventional piece to date, but it is also his most reflective, a subdued, sometimes intense and often comic homecoming that celebrates the pueblo and people that shaped his imagination. Spanish crix have responded favorably to the helmer's most explicitly domestic item since the 1980's, and the pic is studded with enough standard Almodovar moments to keep his legion of offshore arthouse fans happy, though it is unlikely to break down any new doors. The visually memorable scene over the opening credits shows dozens of women furiously scrubbing the graves of their deceased, establishing the influence of the dead over the living as the key theme. One of the women is Raimunda (Penelope Cruz in her finest perf to date), a cleaner at Madrid airport; she has a daughter, Paula (Yohana Cobo), of whom her couch potato husband Paco (Antonio de la Torre) may or may not be the father. Like her hairdresser sister Sole (Lola Duenas), Raimunda now lives in the capital, having left the La Mancha pueblo where they were brought up -- a typically Spanish town where women live long and men die young. The sisters' mother, Irene (Carmen Maura) died in a fire a few years previously, along with their father; Irene's elderly, ailing sister Paula (Chus Lampreave) still lives in the pueblo, where she is looked after by Agustina (Blanca Portillo), whose own mother mysteriously disappeared on the day of the fire. One evening, Raimunda finds younger sis wandering the streets in a daze, and discovers that the girl has stabbed Paco to death after he tried to abuse her. Raimunda agrees to take responsibility for the death and cleans up the mess. At a subsequent wake for Aunt Paula, who has suddenly died, Agustina confides that the pueblo believes Irene's ghost has returned and was taking care of her sister during her final days. Sure enough, one afternoon back in Aunt Paula's house, Sole watches as the wild-haired Irene descends the stairs and confronts her. Before too long, following some well-played farce, Irene is living with Sole and helping out with the hairdressing, pretending to be a Russian immigrant and hiding under the bed whenever anyone calls. Pic harnesses styles and moods from different phases in the Almodovar oeuvre: the bleakly hilarious comic realism of "What Have I Done to Deserve This"; the bucolic melodrama of "The Flower of My Secret"; the celebration of womanhood that has been more or less a constant. Many Almodovar stylistic hallmarks are present -- the stand-alone song, the refs to the mindless cruelty of reality TV and the homage to classic film (in this case to Visconti's "Bellissima"), the cameo by his producer bro. Such calling-card moments that are not always in the best service of the particular story he has to tell, but here they arise seamlessly from the action.Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in DVDs & Blu-rays
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-rays
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
