Volver (2006)
I didn’t know Spanish telenovas could be this sexy!
Presentation:
Penelope Cruz may be one of the most beautiful to women to be photographed in cinema along with Eva Green. She is drop dead gorgeous and Almodovar makes full use of her in turning a motherhood drama into something sexy. The Spanish director bends genres starting out as a thriller before revealing its true nature as a complex family drama. The color design is incredible with red and yellow being staples in wardrobe and vintage set design.
Conclusion:
What starts out as a bang ends up as complex drama. As usual, Almodovar really understands the female perspective and this film will heavily cater to the language of women. The perspective is so well executed it’s almost like we can live in their minds. But I was slightly bored by the end of it. Almodovar doesn’t visually present the reveal, the twist is verbally explained and deflates our expectations from the building suspense. But if you love the gossiping and world of Spanish women, this might be as perfect as it gets.
Recommendations
Spanish cinema has the spiciest romance mysteries.