A hidden gem reminiscent of low fantasy melodramas but unique in how the afterlife is interpreted.
Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver is set in Madrid’s lively working-class neighborhoods, where three generations of women survive wind, fire and even death, thanks to goodness, audacity and a limitless vitality. They are Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), who is married to an unemployed laborer and has a teenage daughter (Yohana Cobo); Sole (Lola Dueñas), her sister, a hairdresser; and the mother of both (Carmen Maura), who died in a fire along with her husband. The presence of the mother, whose reappearance in death seems to arise out of a need to fix the situations she couldn’t resolve in life, gradually becomes a comfort to her daughters as well as her grandchild.
-Apple TV
Prior to this film, I didn’t view Penélope Cruz as anything but a pretty face with a large bosom. After this film… I wonder if she’s a generational actress. Her portrayal of Raimunda was heavily grounded and made me feel as if I was watching a working class woman from my own family growing up. Almodóvar still took the time to show off her curves though with some downblouse angles and even comments by the other actresses of, and I was confused by that. The other ensemble cast members complemented her well.
There were a couple of super big twists in the story. One I knew was coming from the first act, cancer (someone mentioning they had low appetite that was only satiated by smoking marijuana). The other one was so out of left field, that it kept me engaged for the remainder of the movie. I realized then that I didn’t pay attention earlier like I should have, as my interpretation of the entire movie hinges on some comments made between the daughters during the first act.
In summation the film has multiple antagonists, multiple protagonists and they are all sympathetic. Solid film.
First screened October 29, 2023 on Mubi.
