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Volver
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Wikipedia article
'Volver' (, meaning "to go back") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodvar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Penlope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chus Lampreave. Revolving around an eccentric family of women from a wind-swept region south of Madrid, Cruz stars as Raimunda, a working-class woman forced to go to great lengths to protect her 14-year-old daughter Paula. To top off the family crisis, her mother Irene returns from the dead to tie up loose ends.
The plot originates in Almodvar's earlier film 'The Flower of My Secret' (1995), where it features as a novel which is rejected for publication but is stolen to form the screenplay of a film named 'The Freezer'. Drawing inspiration from the Italian neorealism of the late 1940s to early 1950s and the work of pioneering directors such as Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Pier Paolo Pasolini, 'Volver' addresses themes like sexual abuse, loneliness and death, mixing the genres of farce, tragedy, melodrama, and magic realism. Set in the La Mancha region, Almodvar's place of birth, the filmmaker cited his upbringing as a major influence on many aspects of the plot and the characters.
'Volver' premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It received critical acclaim and ultimately won two awards at the festival, for Best Actress (shared by the six main actresses) and Best Screenplay. The film's Spanish premiere was held on 10 March 2006 in Puertollano, where the filming had taken place. Cruz was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first Spanish woman ever to be nominated in that category.
Plot
Raimunda (Penlope Cruz) and Sole (Lola Dueas) are sisters who grew up in Alcanfor de las Infantas, a small village in La Mancha, but now both live in Madrid. Their parents had died in a fire three years before.
Raimunda and her daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) live with Paula's father Paco (Antonio de la Torre). When he attempts to rape Paula, claiming that he is not really her father, Paula stabs him to death in self-defense. Raimunda hides the corpse in the deep-freezer of a nearby restaurant with an absent owner, Emilio (Carlos Blanco). When members of a film crew happen upon the restaurant, Raimunda strikes a deal to cater for them, and finds herself back in the restaurant business.
Meanwhile, Sole returns for the funeral of her elderly and dementia-stricken Aunt Paula (Chus Lampreave). Aunt Paula's neighbour Agustina (Blanca Portillo) confesses to Sole that she has heard Paula talking to the ghost of their mother Irene (Carmen Maura). Sole encounters her mother's ghost herself, and when she returns to Madrid, she discovers that the ghost has stowed away in the trunk of her car. Sole agrees to let Irene stay with her and assist her with clients for her illicit hair salon, which she operates out of her apartment. Irene agrees to pose as a Russian immigrant who doesn't speak any Spanish. Irene questions why Raimunda hates her and is fearful of revealing her presence to Raimunda.
Raimunda reveals to Paula that Paco was not her biological father, promising to tell her the whole story later. Agustina is diagnosed with terminal cancer and goes to Madrid for treatment. Raimunda visits her in the hospital. Agustina asks Raimunda if she has seen her mother's ghost. Agustina hopes that the ghost will be able to tell her about her own mother, who disappeared three years before. Raimunda leaves Paula with Sole, rents a van and transports the freezer to a convenient spot by the river Jcar. While staying in Sole's apartment, Paula meets her grandmother's ghost and grows close to her. The next night, Agustina comes to the restaurant, and reveals two startling secrets: her mother and Raimunda's father were having an affair, and her mother disappeared on the same day that Raimunda's parents died.
Sole reveals to Raimunda that she has seen their mother's ghost, who is in the next room with Paula. Irene admits that she did not, in fact, die in the fire, and reveals the whole truth. The reason for Raimunda and Irene's estrangement is that Raimunda's father sexually abused her, resulting in the birth of Paula; thus, Paula is Raimunda's daughter and her sister. Irene tells Raimunda that she did not know about the abuse until Aunt Paula told her about it, and never forgave herself for not noticing it.
Irene explains that she found her husband in bed with another woman and started the fire that killed them both. The ashes that had been presumed to be Irene's were, in fact, the ashes of Agustina's mother, the woman with whom Irene's husband was having an affair. After the fire, Irene wandered for several days in the countryside, until she decided that she wanted to turn herself in. But first, she wanted to say goodbye to Aunt Paula, who had lost the ability to look after herself and with whom Irene had been living prior to setting the fire. Paula welcomed Irene home as if nothing had happened, and Irene stayed, caring for her sister and expecting that the police would come soon to arrest her. Due to the superstitious and closed nature of the community, however, the police never came and the residents, accustomed to tales of the dead returning, explained the rare sightings of Irene as a ghost.
The family reunites at Aunt Paula's house. Irene reveals her presence to Agustina, who believes her to be a ghost. Irene pledges to stay in the village and care for Agustina as her cancer worsens, saying to Raimunda that it was the least that she could do after killing Agustina's mother. Raimunda visits her mother at Agustina's house, and the two embrace and promise to repair their relationship.
Cast
* Penlope Cruz as Raimunda, a mother living in Madrid's suburbs
* Carmen Maura as Irene Trujillo, the mother of Raimunda and Sole
* Yohana Cobo as Paula
* Blanca Portillo as Agustina
* Lola Dueas as Soledad ("Sole")
* Chus Lampreave as Aunt Paula
* Antonio de la Torre as Paco
* Mara Isabel Daz as Regina
* Carlos Blanco as Emilio
* Neus Sanz as Ins
* Leandro Rivera as Auxiliar Produccin
* Yolanda Ramos as Presentadora TV
Production
Origins
'Volver' was first developed by Pedro Almodvar, based on a story actress Marisa Paredes told him during the production of their 1995 film 'The Flower of My Secret', another film set in the La Mancha region. The story revolved around a heartbroken Puerto Rican man who opts to kill his mother-in-law in hopes of reuniting with his beloved wife, who left him and broke off contact, at her mother's funeral. Owning a restaurant, he leaves it in his neighbour's care, when he is about to kill his victim. Fascinated by the story and its background, Almodvar decided on incorporating elements of it into the screenplay of 'The Flower of My Secret', making it the plot of a movie-within-the-movie based on the main character's novel in the film. While working on the script for 'Volver', he would however settle on outlining the role of the neighbour Raimunda, as the film's central character, while Emilio, the Puerto Rican, eventually became a supporting role only.Almodvar says of the story that "it is precisely about death...More than about death itself, the screenplay talks about the rich culture that surrounds death in the region of La Mancha, where I was born. It is about the way (not tragic at all) in which various female characters, of different generations, deal with this culture".[http://www.clubcultura.com/clubcine/clubcineastas/almodovar/eng/diario01.htm 'A Volver Diary' by Pedro Almodvar]
Casting
Penlope Cruz was the first reported to have landed one of the starring roles in 'Volver', having previously worked with Almodvar on his films 'Live Flesh' (1997) and 'All About My Mother' (1999). In preparing for her role, the actress watched Italian neorealism films from the 1950s, many of them starring Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale, to study "the Italian 'maggiorate'" that Almodvar envisioned for her performance in the film. Cruz, who had to wear a prosthetic bottom while filming, noted the role of Raimunda as "the best gift an actress can get".Carmen Maura, the star of Almodvar's debut 'Pepi, Luci, Bom' (1980) and five additional films with the director, was the first to be cast in the film alongside Cruz. Her engagement marked her first collaboration with Almodvar after a period of 18 years and a reported fallout during the production of 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' (1989). Maura commented on the "borderline character" of Irene as a "very complicated [role to play]".
Music
The tango "Volver" by Carlos Gardel with lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera is converted to flamenco and is sung in the movie with the voice of Estrella Morente and lip synced by Penlope Cruz. The dance tune playing at the party prior to Raimunda's lip syncing is called "Good Thing" by the British three-piece indie-dance combo Saint Etienne.
Reception
Box office
In the US alone, the film had made $12,897,993 (15.4% of the total) at the box office after 26.4 weeks of release in 689 theatres. The box office figure from the rest of the world is somewhere in the region of $71,123,059 (84.6% of the total) according to Box Office Mojo. The total worldwide gross is estimated at $84,021,052.[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=volver.htm Volver (2006)] from boxofficemojo.comAs of 22 January 2007 the film had grossed $12,241,181 at the Spanish box office.[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=volver.htm Volver (2006) International Box Office Results] from boxofficemojo.com
Critical reception
.'Fotogramas', Spain's top film magazine, gave it a five-star rating.[http://www.fotogramas.es/Peliculas/Volver/ Volver (2006)], Fotogramas. Upon its U.S. release, A. O. Scott made it an "NYT Critics' Pick" and wrote:To relate the details of the narrativedeath, cancer, betrayal, parental abandonment, more deathwould create an impression of dreariness and woe. But nothing could be further from the spirit of 'Volver' which is buoyant without being flip, and consoling without ever becoming maudlin. Mr. Almodvar acknowledges misfortuneand takes it seriouslyfrom a perspective that is essentially comic. Very few filmmakers have managed to smile so convincingly in the face of misery and fatality: Jean Renoir and Billy Wilder come immediately to mind, and Mr. Almodvar, if he is not yet their equal, surely belongs in their company. 'Volver' is often dazzling in its artificeJos Luis Alcaine's ripe cinematography, Alberto Iglesias's suave, heart-tugging score but it is never false. It draws you in, invites you to linger and makes you eager to return.
Roger Ebert gave it his highest rating of four stars, calling it "enchanting, gentle, transgressive" and notes "Almodovar is above all a director who loves womenyoung, old, professional, amateur, mothers, daughters, granddaughters, dead, alive. Here his cheerful plot combines life after death with the concealment of murder, success in the restaurant business, the launching of daughters and with completely serendipitous solutions to (almost) everyone's problems".
As of 2020, the film has a "Certified Fresh" rating from critics at Rotten Tomatoes, scoring a 91% based on 157 "Certified fresh" reviews out of 172 critics, and an average rating of 7.81/10, with the general consensus being "'Volver' catches director Pedro Almodvar and star Penlope Cruz at the peak of their respective powers, in service of a layered, thought-provoking film".. Retrieved 2012-02-07 It also has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2006.* 2nd Marjorie Baumgarten, 'The Austin Chronicle'
* 3rd Glenn Kenny, 'Premiere'
* 3rd Kevin Crust, 'Los Angeles Times'
* 3rd Richard Corliss, 'Time' magazine
* 3rd Philip Martin, 'Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'
* 4th Andrew O'Hehir, Salon
* 4th Peter Travers, 'Rolling Stone'
* 4th Ray Bennett, 'The Hollywood Reporter'
* 5th Desson Thomson, 'The Washington Post'
* 6th Claudia Puig, 'USA Today'
* 6th Scott Tobias, 'The A.V. Club'
* 7th Kenneth Turan, 'Los Angeles Times'
* 8th A. O. Scott, 'The New York Times'
* 8th Keith Phipps, 'The A.V. Club'
* 8th Kirk Honeycutt, 'The Hollywood Reporter'
* 8th Stephen Holden, 'The New York Times'
* 9th Shawn Levy, 'The Oregonian'
* 10th David Ansen, 'Newsweek'
* 10th Lou Lumenick, 'New York Post'
*; General top ten
* Carina Chocano, 'Los Angeles Times'
* Carrie Rickey, 'The Philadelphia Inquirer'
* Joe Morgenstern, 'The Wall Street Journal'
* Liam Lacey and Rick Groen, 'The Globe and Mail'
Sight & Sound magazine's critics poll named 'Volver' the 2nd-best film of 2006. In 2019, 'The Guardian' ranked the film 46th in its 100 best films of the 21st century list.
Awards and nominations
'Volver' received a standing ovation when it was screened as part of the official selection at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, and won the Best Screenplay award as well as the award for Best Actress which was shared by the six stars of the film.
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| align = "center" rowspan = "14" | 2006 || rowspan = "2" | 59th Cannes Film Festival || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo and Chus Lampreave || || rowspan = "2" |
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| Best Screenplay || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| rowspan = "6" | 19th European Film Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || || rowspan = "6" |
|-
| Best Director || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| Best Screenwriter || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| Best Actress || Penlope Cruz ||
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| Best Cinematographer || Jos Luis Alcaine ||
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| Best Composer || Alberto Iglesias ||
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| rowspan = "4" | 11th Satellite Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film || || rowspan = "4" |
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| Best Actress Drama || Penlope Cruz ||
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| Best Director || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| Best Screenplay Original || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| rowspan = "2" | 19th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz ||
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| colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film ||
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| align = "center" rowspan = "34" | 2007 || 78th National Board of Review Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film ||
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| 7th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film || ||
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| rowspan = "2" | 64th Golden Globe Awards || Best Actress Drama || Penlope Cruz || || rowspan = "2" |
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| colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film ||
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| rowspan = "2" | 12th Critics' Choice Awards || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz || || rowspan = "2" |
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| colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film ||
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| 5th Golden Eagle Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film || ||
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| rowspan = "14" | 21st Goya Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || || rowspan = "14" |
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| Best Director || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| Best Original Screenplay || Pedro Almodvar ||
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| Best Actress || Penlope Cruz ||
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| Best Original Score || Alberto Iglesias ||
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| rowspan = "3" | Best Supporting Actress || Carmen Maura ||
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| Lola Dueas ||
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| Blanca Portillo ||
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| Best Cinematography || Jos Luis Alcaine ||
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| Best Costume Design || Sabine Daigeler ||
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| Best Make-Up and Hairstyles || Massimo Gattabrusi and Ana Lozano ||
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| Best Art Direction || Salvador Parra ||
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| Best Production Supervision || Toni Novella ||
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| Best Sound || ||
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| 13th Screen Actors Guild Awards || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz || ||
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| rowspan = "2" | 60th British Academy Film Awards || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz || || rowspan = "2" |
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| colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Film ||
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| rowspan = "5" | 16th Actors and Actresses Union Awards || Best Film Actress in a Leading Role || Penlope Cruz || || rowspan = "5" |
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| rowspan = "3" | Best Film Actress in a Secondary Role || Blanca Portillo ||
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| Lola Dueas ||
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| Carmen Maura ||
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| Best Film Actress in a Minor Role || Chus Lampreave ||
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| 32nd Csar Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Film || ||
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| 79th Academy Awards || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz ||
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| 12th Empire Awards || Best Actress || Penlope Cruz ||
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| 12th Forqu Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || ||
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| French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Film || ||
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References
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