Volver

In 1999 Almodovar's mother died and it's obvious something about this event changed his state of mind, his perspective. A more somber artist, more mature, less given to the screaming hysteria of his earlier work emerged from that. I personally wonder how, even if, a film like Bad Education would have been made if his mother were still alive.

Volver is obviously him working out the trauma of losing his mother. Yet it's as much a film about dealing with the living as the dead. And, as is his wont, it's the women who have to deal with the consequences of men's actions.

The problem I have had in reviewing Volver has much to do with that while I know it's a good film, might even be a very good film, I didn't feel it. How explain why you had a lack of film for a film? While there may be good thoughts and themes in the film, I mean, I know there was, I found nothing under the surface. A lack of emotional undercurrent, you might say.

It's a pleasant film. It's, as usual, usually funny, people dealing with dealing with tragedy with that distinctly Almodovian mix of hysteria and panache. And it's very nice to look at, nice production design, but nothing engaged me, made me feel it was real.

I think the best way to summarize my feelings is Penelope Cruz. The woman is a goddess in this film. All those who have been speaking of Cruz as one of the great beauties of the screen, all right, I get it now. But there's no way such a magnificent woman works as a cleaner. I might admire how Cruz' skills in trying to project herself as a regular salt of the earth type, but there's no way I'm going to believe it. There are no great panoramas of pain written in her face, even though by the end of the film you realize there clearly should be.

In the end I feel for the film much the same way I feel for that glorious behind Cruz carries and swishes around throughout the film. It's looks great, but I just know it's fake.