VOLVER

Spain, 2006, 121 minutes, Colour.
Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Duenas, Blanca Portillo, Johana Cobo, Chus Lampreave, Antonio de la Torre.
Directed by Pedro Almodovar.

After the very male world of Bad Education, Almodovar has moved to a woman’s world, with a sensibility like one of the girls.
The plot of Volver is more straightforward than the complexities of stories within stories of Bad Education. This time it is three generations of women and their neighbours (with a few men glimpsed now and again - some of them reprehensible). Relationships and family struggles are the themes. It is also a ghost story when you don’t have a ghost story (which tantalises the audience for a while and some of the characters for longer).
And the acting is marvellous. A great pleasure to see Penelope Cruz in top form as Raimunda after her less profitable sojourn in English-language films. Carmen Maura, always intense, is wonderful as her mother. The actresses portraying the daughter, the sister, the aunt and the kindly neighbour are persuasive. (Not that all the women are admirable. Almodovar has some satiric fun at the expense of trash TV trash show hostesses.)

This is a film about strong women, wronged women, their fortitude and perseverance. It is sometimes sad, often funny, always wise.

1.Almodovar and his place in Spanish cinema? Transformation over a quarter of a century? His being provocative? His becoming accepted, art house and mainstream? World admiration for him? Popular themes and treatment?

2.The transition from films of a man’s world to a women’s world? His own sensibility with the women?

3.The title, the return, the mother, superstition in the village, with Agostina and with Sole? The reality? A ghost story when you don’t have a ghost?

4.The opening in the cemetery, the graves, the women cleaning the graves, the town and the wind – and the suggestion that it makes people mad? The introduction to Raimunda, the centre of the family, Sole, her older sister, Paula her daughter? Meeting Agostina at the cemetery, their discussions, about Aunt Paula? The establishing of the relationships between the three, Raimunda as the leader, Sole as the follower, the surliness of Paula? The history of the family, the story of the mother and father dying in the fire, in bed together, loving each other? The later ironies of this story? Involving the audience in the life of the women, with each of the women? The sympathetic and strong performances?

5.The visit to Aunt Paula, old, senile, partly blind? Yet the clean house, the cakes and the parcels for them, the exercise bike? Paula and her discrimination of whether to kiss or not – resisting Sole? Her praise of the women’s mother and her looking after her? The mystery? The visit to Agostina, the discussions, Agostina and her generous help of Aunt Paula? Agostina ringing with the news of the death, her celebrating the wake, the celebration of the funeral? Her helping Sole? Saving her aunt’s goods?

6.Raimunda and Paula arriving home, the marriage to Paco, his watching the TV, drinking the beer, being fired? His watching his daughter and her mother telling her to cross her legs, his passing his daughter’s room? The suggestions of what was to come? Raimunda, at work, the menial and hard work? Paula waiting at the bus stop, wet? Her story, the facts, finding Paco dead? Raimunda’s strong reaction, taking the blame? The suddenness of Emilio’s visit and entrusting the keys of the restaurant to Raimunda? Sole ringing with the news of her aunt’s death? Her decision not to go to the funeral? Her diligence in cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, the corpse in the fridge? Continually protecting Paula? Taking the body into the restaurant, in the freezer?

7.Her not going to the funeral, Sole and her presence, the funeral itself, her suddenly seeing her mother, assuming it was a ghost? Her grief? The discovery of her mother in the boot of the car, the luggage? Her moving in, her helping with the clients and the beauty salon? Her pretending that she was a Russian? Not speaking? The comedy of the mother helping in the house and the work? The various clients and their chatter? The discussions about Trash TV? Paula and her visits, befriending her grandmother, their talking? Sole shouting Raimunda’s name when she came to give them the warning? Their all having to cope?

8.Raimunda, the chance job with the film crew, the buying of the fruit and vegetables, her friends and neighbours with the port, the desserts? The money, paying them back? The three weeks’ work, the final party, the neighbours and their working with her? Her being persuaded to sing – Sole’s arrival, her mother in the car listening and weeping? The success of the venture? Her seeing the man wanting to buy the shop, the phone call, her ringing Emilio, warning him against the man, telling the truth about what she had done? Wanting to take over the restaurant?

9.The fatal night, Paula staying with Sole, pretending that Paco had come back to discuss? Persuading Regina to help her with the freezer? Hiring the truck, carrying the freezer, putting it in the van? Driving to the river, the digging, the burial, carving the memorial in the tree? The later visit, Paula seeing the memorial, Raimunda acknowledging that this was where Paco was buried?

10.Paula, the effect of the assault on her, her killing Paco? The knife? Helping her mother to clean up, her mother wanting to protect her? The truth that Paco was not her natural father? Her promising to tell the truth – but not telling her?

11.Raimunda, the visits to Agostina, Agostina and the cancer, hospital? Agostina wanting to know the truth about her mother’s disappearance? The connection with the fire? Her explanation that she had seen a ghost? Raimunda and her scepticism, refusing? Agostina’s visit and trying to persuade her? Agostina’s sister, on the Trash TV? Agostina deciding to go on – and the suddenness of them all watching the television? Agostina and the promise of the trip to Houston for her cancer? Her being persuaded to talk about the disappearance of her mother, the other implications? Her not being able to do it? Her walking out? The parody of the Trash TV shows, the interviews, the audience and applause, the hostess and her bland remarks? Agostina not getting the trip to Houston?

12.The discovery of her mother, the effect on Raimunda? Paula pointing that her mother was hiding under the bed? Her rushing out, the discussion with Paula, the return?

13.Walking with her mother, the revelation of the truth? Her resentment that her mother had never realised that the father had assaulted her? Raimunda’s pregnancy, disappearance, marrying Paco? The mother’s regrets and sorrow? The apologies? The reconciliation?

14.The decision to go back to the village? The visit to the river and Paco’s grave? Agostina and her illness? The mother and her decision to go to help Agostina and stay with her till she died? The consent of the daughters?

15.The happy reconciliation amongst the women themselves? The humour of whether the mother was a ghost or not? The vibrancy and vitality of the mother’s character? The truth about her husband, facing it? Agostina’s mother and the affair? The confrontation, setting the house alight? Agostina’s mother being buried? The mother’s shrewdness in being seen as a ghost by the superstitious people, staying with Paula until she died?

16.The ironies of infidelities, incest themes, the aggrieved children, their turning out well? Breaks in love, bonds of love?

17.The title and all kinds of returns by the women, and the return to a bonded family?