Movie Review: Volver

By Frank H. Woodward Nov 2, 2006, 1:02 GMT

VOLVER is a meeting of “Mildred Pierce” and “Arsenic and Old Lace”, combined with the surrealistic naturalism of my fourth film, “¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!!” (“What have I done to Deserve This?”), that is, Madrid and its lively working-class neighbourhoods, where the immigrants from the various Spanish provinces share dreams, lives and fortune with a multitude of ethnic groups and other races. At the heart of this ...more

‘Volver’ is nothing less than a vibrant film. This should come as no surprise considering it’s the latest offering from colorful filmmaker Pedro Almodovar (‘Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown’, ‘All About My Mother’).

‘Volver’ essentially means “coming back”. In Almodovar’s world, this could mean recovering from a soul deadening marriage, revisiting mysteries of the past or even coming back from death itself. 

The film follows three generations of women so full of goodness, audacity and vitality you instantly fall under their spell and hope for their best.  They are Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) who is married to an unemployed lay about and has a teenage daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo), Sole (Lola Duenas), her sister, who makes a living as a hairdresser, and Abuela (Carmen Maura) the mother of both who “died” in a fire with her husband. 

Each woman deals with a return.

In Raimunda’s case, it’s her joy of life that makes a comeback (on the heels of a crime of passion). By taking over a neighboring restaurant with her daughter, Raimunda blossoms once again.

With Sole, the coming back is of a different spirit when she begins to see her long dead mother. Abuela has returned to take care of her daughters with the same level of dedication she failed to show them before (again as a result of certain crimes of passion).

Death and rebirth are at the heart of 'Volver.'

The film even opens on a country community of widows who gather to polish the graves of their husbands and loved ones. It’s more than a ritual. It’s a support group and not an entirely healthy one. The village women are defined by the weight of loving those that have gone before. It’s this possible fate that Sole fears, Raimunda avoids and Abuela endures.

The cast of  'Volver' is almost entirely women and some of the finest actresses Spain has to offer.

Penelope Cruz’s performance could almost be seen as “coming back” itself.

Under Almodovar’s eye, Cruz shines brightest, almost obscuring her less inspired American fare. She displays a voluptuousness that calls to mind other strong willed actresses of European cinema like Sophia Loren or Anna Magnani.

Even more moving is a supporting performance by Blanca Portillo as Agustina. Agustina is a woman who stayed behind in the village, alienated from life amidst memories of the deceased. Her existence has literally begun to eat her up inside. Agustina’s grasping at a return of her own is as heartfelt as anything the primary characters go through.

'Volver' is not as supernatural as the return of a dead mother would imply. It’s also not a full on thriller, as the early stages (and Hitchcockian strings)of Raimunda’s story would have you think.

The mixture of these elements and other Almodovar traits (murder, food, hookers) work to craft a palatable experience.