Volver

Finally, after waiting for a loooooong time and hearing reviews from my friends in France and Spain who already saw the movie I was a lucky girl to attend tonight (sunday) the special premiere evening of Almodóvar’s new movie Volver which will be released in the Netherlands on the 24th of august.

The movie was programmed at my favorite cinema Cinerama which is located in the heart of Rotterdam. I love this place particular because it’s small and simple, but they have so much to offer. The outside has a kind of American design while the inside has a warm atmosphere and a fancy attitude. They also have a big offer in foreign movies in original version, which is rare.

It was a small group of around 50 people. I’m always surprised to see the variation of people who come and see Almodóvar’s movies. Behind me was an elderly Spanish lady who was telling beautifully about an evening in Madrid, proximatly 30 years ago, where she saw her first Almodóvar movie :-)

Volver was again a tipical Almodóvar movie from the first second till the last, but I was missing some (for me important) ingredients. Especially after his latest movie La mala educación I found Volver too soft. I love Almodóvar for the openness in his movies, how he isn’t afraid to speak out about difficult subjects & bringing it out to public, to aware them. Volver didn’t really contain this or at least not in the ways we’re used from Almodóvar. There was a lot more humour than usual which also made the movie & it’s problems lighter than normal.

The story wasn’t too complicated and less mixed up. Normally with Almodóvar his story line is like a puzzle where there are big parts missing. During the movie you collect these pieces and you try to fit them at the blank spaces in your mind to understand the story line better, but it remains quite impossible as they never seems to fit. Where at the end everything comes together and all the pieces fall in their place and you walk out of the cinema feeling completly blown of the world and trying to re-capture the film again to understand.

Volver on the other hand was much better to understand and easier to follow. Maybe this was done on purpose to make his movies more accesible to the people, but I founded it sad to miss this aspect as this makes Almodóvar so special and different. It gave the movie a little American “chewed out for general public” attitude that didn’t involve the audience to let them think deeply or to be active like putting the pieces together themselves.

However... It was an Almodóvar movie and as I adore his works there were millions of things to love as well. What was there not to love about Tía Paula!? ;-) Even though she only had a short visual appearance. Her words reminds me of my grandmother and her physical appearance was corresponding completly with one of my aunts (including the moustache and the big glasses! ;-)) I won’t say any names though :-)

Tía Paula on the right :-)

It was also a deep pleasure to have Penélope Cruz in this movie. Her appearance is never unremarkable and when she plays her characters it’s impossible to not be moved by her. She lives in her role and she plays it well enough to make you feel her character, to laugh with her, to cry with her, to be touched by her...

It was definitly worth waiting for this movie and for the ones who didn’t see it yet... GO! It's already long worthy to see Penélope who brings the Spanish passion to your heart.