Men are from Mars... (Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (DVD))

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (DVD)
Date:	11/07/08 (138 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wacky, bright, colourful, entrancing

Disadvantages: Not everyone will get the humour

Pepa is devastated when Ivan leaves her, even more so because she thinks he has returned to his wife and she has some important news to tell him. However, when she tries to confront his wife, Lucia, she claims to know nothing of Ivan's whereabouts. By some quirk of nature, Lucia's son, Carlos is looking to rent an apartment with his girlfriend, and turns up at Pepa's flat which she is planning to rent out, not realising that Pepa was his mother's rival. Throw into the mix a girlfriend of Pepa's, who is on the run from her criminal boyfriend and is suicidal to boot, another of Ivan's lovers, a biker neighbour and the police, and Pepa's life becomes a total whirl of madness. Will she ever be able to restore normality?

I am slowly working my way backwards through the films of Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, having first been entranced by Volver. I have come to love his films for their wackiness and originality - it really is impossible to guess quite what is going to happen next with his films - and I had high expectations of this one, particularly because it stars Carmen Maura, a superb actress, and Antonio Banderas, who, if not always the best actor, is certainly easy on the eye. Thankfully, this is another excellent offering from Almodovar, who impresses me more with each film I see.

Carmen Maura has appeared in a number of Almodovar's films, including Volver, What Have I Done to Deserve This? and Pepi, Luci, Bom, and I believe that she has really helped to put his films on the map. Pepa is a rather neurotic woman who, despite having money and a successful career as an actress, is not happy with her life. Maura manages to portray this brilliantly, while bringing into the role a touch of humour at all the madness in her life. I have a great deal of admiration for this actress - I have seen her in such different roles (here she is sophisticated and well-to-do, but I have seen her, for example, as a housewife and drudge) and she always manages to persuade me that what I am seeing in front of me is her real character.

I almost didn't recognise Antonio Banderas, who plays Carlos. He is very young in this film, which was made back in 1988, and has this amazing quiff of curls on top of his head. Plus, he stammers and wears glasses, and generally seems very different from his usual confident self. From that point of view, he does give a good performance, but to be honest, he doesn't have all that much of a role - not really his fault; Almodovar is better known for his female characters rather than the male.

Another of Almodovar's favourite actresses, who was in Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down with Antonio Banderas, is Maria Barranco, who plays Pepa's suicidal friend. She is good in the role, although she does over-act, so a little goes a long way. The over-acting isn't down to her lack of control though - it is a trait of Almodovar's work. Julieta Serrano, who plays Lucia, also gives a very exaggerated performance, and looks really frightful with wacky hairdos and way too much make-up.

This is a very colourful and lively film. There are splashes of colour all over the place, in both the clothes that the women wear and the settings, and the music score, which is often discordant and loud, just accentuates this. It could almost be a pantomime - in fact, in some ways, it is a farce, but Almodovar just manages to hold on to the tragedy so that it becomes a really good insight into the tragic lives of women who fall in love with a serial philanderer, with a touch of comedy and farce to brighten it up. This is done so well that it is hard to believe that Almodovar is a man. I truly believe men and women are two different species - I've certainly never yet met a man who understands me and vice versa - yet clearly there are some men with an insight into the minds of women, and Almodovar is one of them.

This film probably isn't for everyone. It is really full on, with so much going on on-screen that it can be hard to follow the thread of the main story. Newcomers to Almodovar will probably wonder what the hell is going on. And it is very much a film that concentrates on women's feelings and failed relationships, so if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you should probably stay well clear. However, if you're prepared to give the film a go, then I think you will find something in it to enjoy.

I really enjoyed this film - it more than met my expectations - it is funny and sensitive all in one go. The fact that it is in Spanish did not make any difference to me - I don't understand more than a few words of the language, but the subtitles were clear and easy to read, and I was able to enjoy the visuals and the sound without any difficulty. I am looking forward to my next Almodovar and hope he starts making some new ones soon. Highly recommended.

The DVD is available from play.com for £5.99.

Classification: 12

Running time: 90 minutes

Summary: Well-made, great fun, well worth a watch