Considering it's one of the "givens" in life -- the other being the ubiquitous taxman -- it shouldn't be that surprising that death permeates everyone's lives. From dreams to pets to friends, family members and finally oneself, it's an omnipresent reality that no one can escape.
Different societies, of course, deal with that fact of life in various ways. Some celebrate it, others revere it, and many try to ignore it in hopes that the Grim Reaper might pass them by. In writer/director Pedro Almodóvar's fairly entertaining "Volver," death permeates the lives of his Spanish characters. From the opening shot of women tending to gravesites in a cemetery to a dead guy ending up in a freezer, a ghost coming back to visit the living, people dying, and talk of past deaths, it's subject numero uno.
That might make it sound quite morose to some, while others might view it as a heavy drama or perhaps even a horror film of sorts. Those who know Almodóvar and his track record, however, might realize it for what it really is -- a genre bending effort featuring strong female leads and a deft approach at mixing pathos, drama, and yes, even comedy, albeit of the blackened variety.
Thus, while the death of a lecherous stepfather character is disturbing and bloody, the filmmaker wisely gives the efforts to remove the body from the premises a slight comedic touch. Dry humor also runs throughout the plot elements featuring the surprise appearance of two adult sisters' reportedly long dead mother. That's not only in how Carmen Maura plays her (with a sort of impish twinkle in her eye), but also with how one sister, played by Lola Dueñas, tries to explain her presence to others and prevent her sibling from coming into contact with her.
The later is wonderfully embodied by Penélope Cruz, an Almodóvar favorite who's never looked more gorgeous than she does here, and she's the film's driving life force among all of the rampant death and dying. Sporting abundant cleavage (that could almost be its own character with a bit more attention), a radiant glow, and an all too obvious relief of performing back in her native tongue, the actress is nothing short of terrific in the role.
In an industry where actresses usually don't get a great deal of depth with which to work, Cruz explores the character in such a nuanced and engaging fashion that one simply can't take their eyes off her. Don't be surprised if her name is heard a lot during movie award season time (despite or perhaps because of the reported prosthetic derriere she wore to better embody her character).
The compelling angle -- beyond the thought of that -- is in her character and others not knowing whether the dead mother character is a ghost, a collective hallucination or what, and veteran actress Maura has fun playing with that very nebulousness. Lola Dueñas is also good as her confused but then accepting daughter, and Blanca Portillo brings some additional poignancy to her character who similarly wonders about her own mother's disappearance.
Of course, all of that and the rest of the related material is present so that Almodóvar can explore various relationships, be they of the mother/daughter or sibling variety, or that of individuals with their own pending or inevitable demise. Concluding with a devastating plot and character revelation, the filmmaker does a good job tying everything together, both thematically and in terms of overall storytelling.
However, while it's all rather engaging, often entertaining, but also occasionally disturbing, I didn't find it to be Almodóvar's strongest work (of either the comedy, drama or combination thereof). It's certainly easy enough to watch -- and looks terrific, especially whenever one manages to see beyond Cruz -- and it moves along at a good clip. That said, it didn't blow me away as I thought it might, despite all of the inherent potential. Mind you, it's still good, but just not brilliant enough to have you come back for more. "Volver" rates as a 6.5 out of 10.
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