Tea and figs

This has been a head-down-keep-working week punctuated by a breaths to keep my social skills from sinking evermore into the mud. Wednesday, Laura & I saw Volver, the new Pedro Almodovar movie. I loved All About My Mother and the sublime Talk to her a little more than Bad Education, but I think Volver tops them. What is so remarkable about Almodovar's films are his amazing characters -- particularly the women. Strong, proud, even ridiculous, and most amazing -- in Volver especially -- are the women who have suffered through some incredible shit, and are still funny, vibrant characters. They don't walk around in a fog of pain; they aren't martyrs or saints because of it.

Volver is essentially about ghosts, both literal and figurative. Don't read any plot summaries, see it fresh; the only thing I'll say is that Penelope Cruz is so much better in subtitles than in English. And even the closing subtitles are breathtaking.

Labels: movies