Pedro Almodovar's Volver

Pedro Almodovar is one of my favorite filmmakers working today. He has such a passion in his films that very few can hold a candle too. Volver is a great film filled with humor, drama, and plenty of twists.

Volver is a complex noir like story that is difficult to give justice to in a few sentences. The film revolves around the beautiful Raimunda(Penelope Cruz) and her complex past and present. It's a film with murder, sex, ghosts, and a grand helping of great humor. This is the kind of film where you want to go into it not really understanding what its about. Just trust me.

The first and most striking thing about this movie is the fantastic performance by Penelope Cruz. She is at once extremely likable, intensely beautiful, and very confrontational. Its interesting how well Cruz and Almodovar work together to highlight one another. His stylish passionate and intimate direction gives much to the character. She flows from being a powerful woman in control to a scenes of powerful vulnerability very naturally.

The best thing about this film and every other Almodovar film is the amazing script. Almodovar is a fantastic director don't get me wrong, but with a script this good even the worst chump of a director would have a hard time messing it up. The film has such an odd feeling of humorous tragedy that it is at once disarming and refreshing. We don't know exactly how to feel in every scene. In one scene in particular (which I wont describe as to refrain from spoilers) some members of the audience where cackling with laughter while others looked across the row in confusion. It was interesting to see how some people took the scene as drama and some as comedy. I'm not sure who was right, but both of them were having a good time.

Even though I just said it was the script that made this film(which it was) Almodovar's direction is still fantastic. As usual his films have a visual vibrancy on par with other intensely visual directors like Wong Kar Wai or Steven Soderbergh. Beyond colorful lighting its obvious that Almodovar is just having fun making the film. There is a sort of child like glee to the way Almodovar captures some specific scenes which I don't want to ruin, but lets just say it involves some spilled blood!

Almodovar is a great filmmaker. This is another great movie to add to his already amazing body of work. Its a humorous and playful noir film told with a passion seldom seen. Not to be missed by those with a pulse.

5/5 "He's Back again."