Volver

The got the dvd of Volver from Blockbuster's sale back in Ithaca almost 2 years ago and I finally watched it last week. Volver's screenplays is phenomenal. I thoroughly loved it from start to finish. The story flows so well and it kept me interested the entire way. There are stories within stories and many many characters, each with their own histories; but the film never fell into disarray. The stories and histories build on top of each other to create a fruitful film.

As always, Penelope Cruz is amazing. I absolutely loved the scene where she sings/lip sync and the way she deals with the situations thrown at her. Along the way, we learn the reason why she is the way she is and the struggles she has been through. But Penelope Cruz is only one of many female characters. The others too have their stories to tell and it's so wonderful that Pedro Almodovar includes everyone into the film. There are the "dead" mother, the unaccomplished sister, the daughter who is becoming an adult, the neighbor who is struggling with cancer, and the friendly prostitute.

Lastly, in addition to the screenplay and actresses, the cinematography and artistic direction are eye catching. The colors explode onto the screen making a film about death and struggle ultimately beautiful and cheery. Volver is such a great film that gets everything right.

The Holy Girl

The Holy Girl has a promising premise and characters: a Catholic teenage girl beginning to realize her sexuality and a married doctor of respectable profession but a flawed man who is also a sexual predator. However, the delivery of the story failed and the director forgot to reward her audience.

The film happens in one small town holding a medical conference. The teenage girl, Amalia, attracted by the crowd on the street goes to watch a performance on a theremin. The doctor, Dr. Jano, taking advantage of the crowd goes on a hunt--he rubs sexually against Amalia's behind. Amalia, who has faith in god, believes that she has just been assigned the mission to save Dr. Jano from his sins. After, what felt like hours of viewing, Amalia aborts her mission and becomes more sexually interested by her friend and herself.

Basically, the whole film builds up to a moment when Amalia is supposed to reveal Dr. Jano's sinned behavior and when Dr. Jano was going to repent (if I recall correctly). Needless to say, those events don't happen.

Watching THG was not easy. Lucrecia Martel, the director, made the film difficult to watch. Many times the entire mise en scenes are only filled with half a face and a cut off door. With only a bit more space, much of the movie takes place in hotel rooms. The scenes are tight making the viewer uncomfortable and claustrophobic. Thorough out my viewing, I kept stretching to feel less tense and changing the way I sat to make myself comfortable. The muted greens, browns, and greys of the film didn't help with feeling more at ease either. Skip it or skim it; just don't watch the whole thing.