Coming Soon But Not Soon Enough#8 Volver (Sony Pictures Classics. Arriving in June. Now playing in Spain.)
I still vividly recall my introduction to the colorful, supremely cinematic world of
Pedro Almodovar. It was a one two punch in short succession. I rented
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown out of sheer curiousity (based on the title) and found myself both disoriented and highly amused. Then a friend of a friend of a friend begged me to sit down with
Law of Desire. I was a devotee from then on. I never saw that acquaintance again but damned if I don't owe him a loudly uttered "thank you."
For the past six years Pedro has been enjoying a beautiful creative renaissance.
All About My Mother renewed Almodovar fever in 1999 (and won him the Foreign Film Oscar). Improbably
Talk To Her didn't suffer by comparison and was considered another instant classic (He won
a second Oscar and neared the top of
my top ten list). And two years ago
Bad Education's "fag noir" provided more thrills for adventurous filmgoers. Put simply: Almodovar is the most consistently thrilling auteur that's regularly working.
His latest feature
Volver reunites him at long last with the star of his first
Carmen Maura, arguably his greatest muse. Spanish beauty and blight on Hollywood films
Penelope Cruz also stars. But I don't mind. Almodovar knows just how to use her talent. Maura plays the ghost of Cruz's mother.
Now if Pedro would only invite
Victoria Abril back in the mix...
My trinity of favoritesLaw of Desire (1986),
All About My Mother (1999),
Talk to Her (2002)
Most underappreciated¡Átame! (1990)
Performances I love the most Carmen Maura in
Law of Desire(1986), Victoria Abril in both
Kika(1994) and
¡Átame!(1990), and Gael Garcia Bernal in
Bad Education(2004)
My least favorite Matador (1987)
Haven't seen [embarrassed]Pepi, Luci, Bom (1980),
The Flower of My Secret (1995)
tags:
Penelope Cruz,
Pedro Almodovar,
Volver,
moviesprevious "coming soons"
Inland Empire,
Little Children,
Margaret,
Bug and
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Zodiac