Almodovar's "Volver" - See it, even if your mama can't pronounce it

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I finally had the chance to see Pedro Almodovar's Volver this last weekend. I'm not familiar with many of his films, so I was going in blind. Subtitled films are not my husband's favorite - unless they are the English translation of Klingon or another alien language. Don't even get me started on that.

I asked around before watching it - most of my friends hadn't heard of it. A quick search online revealed that Kris of the hilarious I’m not a girl, not yet a wino had been discussing Volver with family and friends, too:

I spent a sleepy Saturday with my family as my sister was in town, and gorged myself on a cheesy cup of French onion soup in a Shirlington restaurant and a considerably larger bowl of laughter when my mother referred to Penelope Cruz’s recent movie Volver as a decidedly wrong, and loud, Vulva. It was worth my audible snort.

Enlightening? No. Entertaining? Yes. I curled up in bed with my laptop and earphones, and lost myself in the colorful, tragic and yet comic story. Penelope Cruz was a surprise - I have had very little opinion on her acting, because most of the celebrity commentary I've read focuses on her magnificent rack and dating history. She's gorgeous - and a fantastic actress in her native tongue.

Karen of verbatim loved Volver as well:

I owe Penelope Cruz a huge apology. I can remember seeing her only once, in "Blow," and she was mostly just a slutty nobody in that. I figured she couldn't act. Turns out that she can act, really well, but she maybe just needs to be in Spanish movies. Her performance in this beautiful movie was really impressive. She plays a woman who's struggling to keep all the balls in the air—several part-time jobs, a no-good husband, a pre-adolescent daughter, a judgmental sister, a murder, and a dead mother who comes back for a visit (But it's not that kind of movie, really!). I can't say enough about this movie. It was a delight from start to finish, and I think it is surely the best I've seen from Pedro Almodovar.

When Raimunda(Cruz)is faced with a dead body on her kitchen floor, she takes about 30 seconds to freak out, and then reaches for the paper towels. Despite the heavy subject matter, Volver manages to be light-hearted. Mothers, daughters, sisters and friends - like Steel Magnolias, Volver shows the complicated relationships between women with affection and respect.

The strength of these women, and their ability to not only survive, but enjoy life no matter what is thrown at them, made for a great film. I highly recommend Volver.
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Jenny Lauck wishes she could make her hair do that messy but sexy thing.

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*image found at sonyclassics.com/volver