SPOILERS There's a limit to what I know about Spanish cinema. Restricted to Americanised remakes or the occasional Spanish language film, I tend to focus my attentions on the French scene. As a result when I watched Volver, it was a whole new experience, but at the same time a remarkably pleasant one.
Set in modern Spain, Volver tells the story of two sisters (Penelope Cruz and Lola Duenas) struggling in different ways to cope with the deaths of their parents and aunt. However with a visiting ghost and a murder thrown in, this is hardly your standard family drama.
Led by an outstanding performance by Penelope Cruz, Volver is an occasionally beautiful piece of cinema with some great cinematography. Bright and vivid colours give us a stunning start to the film, however when the script begins, it does take a short period to really kick into gear. The scene that starts this, including a powerful red stained kitchen roll soaking further and further, sets the film going at a more suitable pace and from this point on the film instantly grabs your attention.
Whilst I'm not the most knowledgeable of Spanish cinema, I appreciate a well shot and written film. Therefore I'm happy to admit how much I enjoyed Volver. A powerful, enjoyable movie with some touching moments, it's well worth watching. It does have flaws, notably the slow ten opening minutes and a badly dubbed musical sequence, but for the most part Volver is magnificent.
Set in modern Spain, Volver tells the story of two sisters (Penelope Cruz and Lola Duenas) struggling in different ways to cope with the deaths of their parents and aunt. However with a visiting ghost and a murder thrown in, this is hardly your standard family drama.
Led by an outstanding performance by Penelope Cruz, Volver is an occasionally beautiful piece of cinema with some great cinematography. Bright and vivid colours give us a stunning start to the film, however when the script begins, it does take a short period to really kick into gear. The scene that starts this, including a powerful red stained kitchen roll soaking further and further, sets the film going at a more suitable pace and from this point on the film instantly grabs your attention.
Whilst I'm not the most knowledgeable of Spanish cinema, I appreciate a well shot and written film. Therefore I'm happy to admit how much I enjoyed Volver. A powerful, enjoyable movie with some touching moments, it's well worth watching. It does have flaws, notably the slow ten opening minutes and a badly dubbed musical sequence, but for the most part Volver is magnificent.