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MovieMail's Review
Volver literally translates as 'return', which appropriately reflects the film. It's a return to the world of small town life in La Mancha that Almodóvar experienced as a child as well as a reunion of many of Almodóvar's favourite actresses - Carmen Maura (the first of Almodóvar's great heroines who stared in most of his 80s output), Chus Lampreave (the crazy grandmother in What Have I Done To Deserve This?) and of course, Cruz, after her less than successful foray in Hollywood.
Her 'plebeian' but glamorous qualities were already apparent in Live Flesh and All About My Mother and here Almodóvar transforms his star into one of those voluptuous Mediterranean women who strode through Italian films in the 1950s and 1960s. With a nod to Anna Magnani in the film itself, Almodóvar has elsewhere talked enthusiastically of the star qualities of Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale. Cruz rises to the challenge gloriously in a variety of costumes designed to emphasise her physical presence and her performance as Raimunda is outstanding.
Almodóvar's ability to meld melodrama, comedy and social commentary (in the form of murder, incest/sexual abuse, insanity and a fascination with death) into something life-giving and uplifting is remarkable. It is this talent above all, typified in Volver, that puts Almodóvar into a class of his own as a European filmmaker.
One of the most acclaimed films of 2006, Volver has been seen in many quarters as Almodovar's masterpiece. Penelope Cruz has never been better (or more beautiful) than as Raimunda, a hard-working woman whose life is a mess. Her sister, meanwhile, is shocked when their mother (Carmen Maura) returns to lend a helping hand. A warm, delightful film with strong performances (the female protagonists shared the Best Actress award at Cannes).
