Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Buy This Item Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown by Mgm Entertainment  Available from Amazon  $14.95  on 11-25-2008     Almodovar's first international hit, this kinetic, farcical romp mixes up absurd comic situations and bizarre, coincidental encounters between ex-lovers, jealous wives, Shiite terrorists, and sexy apartment seekers. Maura heads up a terrific cast, playing the hysteric Pepa with pathos and manic passion, while Barranco and Serrano (as Ivan's unhinged, gun-toting wife) are brilliantly zany. Watch for future Hollywood star Banderas in a small but memorable role as Ivan's randy son. No one does urban screwball comedy like Almodovar, or loves these "Women" quite as much. Reader Reviews Pedro Almodovar, an internationally and critically acclaimed Spanish director, takes eccentricity and neuroses to new heights in WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, one of his most well known films. Pepa (Carmen Maura), an actress, has just been left alone and pregnant by her lover. It turns out that this situation is only one of many problems that she encounters. Her friend, Candela (Maria Barranco) is having a crisis of her own. Then, there's the matter of the gazpacho that Pepa has prepared--spiked with thirty sleeping pills--but, I won't ruin that part of the story for you as to what prompts her to prepare such a sleep-inducing dish. The whole mood is comparable to a telenovela (Spanish language soap opera). The atmosphere is melodramatic (hence, the reason for the title), desperate and probes at the main character, her plight and whether she can hold herself together in the eye of so many simulataneous storms around her. I'll be honest in saying that I didn't "get" this film when I first saw it. I can relate to viewers who didn't like it. Initially, when it had finished, I thought, "What was THAT?" Almodovar's writing style really seems very analytical and feels more like a clinical study of what heights someone will go when emotionally instable. It was hard for me to really feel connected to any of the characters, and the atmosphere felt more than a little like intersecting episodes in a serial. Yet, upon reflection, I can appreciate the depth, skillful artistic direction and beauty of the characters that we come to know. Carmen Maura is very convincing as one of the lead characters and she doesn't appear to be acting at all! What's more, this is probably the only film with (a very young) Antonio Banderas, where I actually WANTED to watch him because the story had substance, for once! I reccomend that you see this just so you can get a sense for yourself of the style of Almodovar and why his films leave audiences talking.....

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Available from Amazon Price: $14.95 Updated on 11-25-2008.

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