Review of Volver (2009) by Daniel K — 23 Jan 2011

4: I thought this might be a 4 the first time around, but I'm satisfied with a 4. It isn't Almodovar's best; it is simply yet another masterpiece from the master. Almodovar is a genius. No one makes films this saturated with color and this beautiful.

They are instantly recognizable at a glance. One can only hope that he is extremely prolific over the next 30-40+ years. This is certainly in his top 10 for me though and possibly in his top five. The performances are close to perfection.

His choice of music, location, editing, lenses, etc is perfect. It is always eminently obvious when one is watching an Almodovar film (the same is true of Kar-Wai). He has made a Noir/Hitchcock for women.

What's incredibly funny is that a gay man still knows exactly how to make women incredibly alluring to the viewer. I guess this shouldn't really be a surprise. Despite the attempts at making it seem Hitchcockian, music and all, it is Almodovar through and through.

It's like Altman trying to make a Marlowe/Chandler piece. Comparing this to Hollywood is a joke. I'm so happy Almodovar has maintained his creative freedom over the years. I'm terrified he'll want to work with Hollywood some day, but El Mepris is a perfect example of the good that can come out of such a collaboration.

I'll be happy if he sticks with Spain though. I see no signs his subject matter will become stale in the future. It's amazing what an auteur can do with genre. Staying within the confines and yet breaking free simultaneously.

This just keeps getting better and better every time I see it. I can't wait for an Almodovar Blu-Ray collection to be released. His films were made for it.