'Te necesito, mamá'

Red. This is the first thing you notice : the bright colour of the film's poster, and the flowery patterns that surround Penélope Cruz's face. And her eyes. Yes, her eyes : all smoky, deep and expressive… At some extend, it sums up quite rightly the film's atmosphere. A feminine fable, full of passionate characters, that Pedro Almodóvar films in the orange-coloured ambiance of south Spain.

I didn't like that film so much, due to two main reasons : first of all, I think I've seen too many good films in a short lapse of time. This is not to the advantage of Volver. Then, the pseudo-fantastic thing does not work with me. But I agree it gives the movie an off-time atmosphere, where gossips and superstitions are in the middle of the scene. I know it's supposed to be part of the charm of the film, but this is simply not credible to me. It's "too much". That's only my opinion, though. Volver remains however a very good film. The actresses, each and every one of them, are wonderful. I totally agree with the Cannes' decision to award them as a group.

This movies raises the themes of mother-daughter relationships, of coming-backs and forgiveness. It also deals with the idea that sometimes you just reproduce your parents' actions, you know, unconsciously. The example of Raimunda, the character played by Penélope Cruz, and Yohana Cobo, her daughter in the film, is flagrant and overwhelming to me. They don't exactly live the same story, but there is a kind of calamity about men on them. Most generally, men have a bad image, when they're not simply absent, in the film. This is all about women, brave and strong women. Women with a "red" temper.

+ To go further : the film's website