"Volver" stars to return to Almodóvar

I wholeheartedly agree with akiestaMarina about loving some of his movies and leaving others but I particularly must urge everyone out there to check out All About My Mother.  I saw it years ago with a Danish friend (I'm Irish) and afterwards we had to go out to my local bar, order copious hot ports and discuss the many strands and emotions it evokes. I've seen it many times since and it doesn't lose its impact and I just read about the stage version in the Times...Enough!  I think I'll have to hop on a plane to London!

I will go see anything Almodovar does, mostly because of his really strong female leads, but also because of this recurrent themes of love lost, obsession, redemption, and moral ambiguity. He hasn't disappointed me yet (I even love his male-centric movies!), and I'm sure these new ones won't either.

"Out of the box is where I live." -Starbuck

If you want to see a curious movie with Penelope watch "Sin Noticias de Dios".

She and the other actress (Victoria Abril) make a good couple.....more or less.

I love how his films have matured. His treatment of violence has gone from rather showy and gratuitous to intensely personalized, laden with meaning and consequence. Volver was fantastic. A story all about WOMEN, and all about Almodovar's own experience. He communicated the richness of that place so well...

Plus, um, Penelope's hips! Lord almighty.

As always , a bit controversial...

I see there is a whole lot of love for Almodovar here...lol, I, frankly am a bit tired of him. His first movies, which can either be described as fun,exciting and innovative, or just what a group of friends high on drugs and popularity and with a camara might've done in the 80's, were at least sincere. In my own , very harsh probably, opinion, his work has suffered greatly since all of the "Hollywood" approval brought in by All About my Mother. I mean, come on! Talk to Her is basically the very aesthetically enticing in his localistic style of visual narrative, portrayal of rape, and everyone applauds it without questioning. Now I am not saying that rape is a subject matter too sensitive to be portrayed in film, quite the opposite(in fact I think the infamous scene in Irreversible is extremely powerful), it is the fact that Almodovar who strives on controversy, the main representative of a generation and cultural movement based on a "shock and awe" style strategy, makes a movie that condones rape, romanticizes it and recieves nothing more then thumbs up, with no controversy! That can only mean he's lost the magic touch. And the Bad Education, that lame excuse to see Gael Garcia in his underwear...hmm. And finally, just to piss everyone off, I thought Volver was painfully "ok", great for the sunday afternoon siesta session. The only way I could be convinced to watch it again(not during siesta appropriate hours) would be if Pene Cruz actually sang, now that would make it worth my while.

I know, I know, punks grow up and become well groomed businessmen... But Almodovar really needs to cut off his mohawk, or grow it out and piss people off, or find a new strategy cuz the rest of us are getting tired. Anyway I will probably watch every single one of his movies as long as Marissa Paredes lives.

Any hardcore Almo fan up for discussing?

BTW, someone mentioned Sin noticias de dios, a spanish-mex- french co-prod. the release title in Mex is different then the one in Spain, so it must be in the US also. Pene plays butch , seduces Victoria Abril. Hot.

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