Review of To Return (1982) by Ian L — 14 May 2009

I should get the predictable part of this out of the way, Ms Cruz looks amazing and I could watch her all day. Beyond this obvious appeal to shallow men, there is plenty to commend this film, which seems to be Mr Almodovar's most accessible film to date.

Despite Ms Cruz's fame and star quality, there is a balance in the cast's contributions with each character being a valuable part of the story. Nobody's screen time is wasted, for example the mourners at the Aunt's funeral, each of the women kissing Sole contribute to the smothering & intrusive intimacy of the village. I've already admitted my bias, but Ms Cruz proves her worth and gives us far more than I've seen in any english language roles she's had.

The story of the characters is risky and could easily have resulted in a sordid film that was difficult to take in. Instead it is full of colour and life, expressing the animated vitality of the central characters, yet moves seamlessly into more muted tones for the village and Agustina's role.

Yes the ending is fairly abrupt but all is resolved satisfactorily, for me at least. Not like me to gush but I have really taken to Spanish cinema and this film is one of the most enjoyable by Pedro Almodovar.