[CRITICAL] WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF a nervous breakdown (1989)

Thestory : Ivan and Pepa, two of the actors of dubbing, lending their voices to the great stars of the cinema and swear every morning in the darkness of the studio an everlasting love. But Ivan abandoned suddenly Pepa. It will conduct its investigation and discover the double life of the man she loves.

Decidedly, the programming of the Festival of Light 2014 dedicated to Almodóvar is exciting. It allows you to see multiple facets of the director, and it continues to impress us by its approach, with success, a kind of different each time.

– Pepi, Luci, Bom and other girls in the neighborhood gave an overview of the original woman in madrid the 80’s, centered on the pursuit of pleasure in any form.

– That is what I have done to deserve this ? gave an overview of social Spain, from a family impoverished, and, in particular, from the point of view of the wife/mother/daughter-in-law.

– Matador (my favorite with this one) had studied the different opportunities between four characters, and takes several forms : drama, thriller, filmed theatre, comedy.

– The Law of Desire was observing the influence of the passion on the psyche and the creative process. An exciting film for (ALL of) its male characters, but more classic by its subject – the love triangle.

WOMEN on THE EDGE OF a nervous CRISIS takes on the trappings of vaudeville. Vaudeville ? Yes, but a vaudeville-big-eight served by a scenario in the branching very, very, very many. The great Almodóvar.

 

From the beginning, Almodóvar has fun to lose us.

Already, by self-citation… the title of The film – which promises a certain performance voyeuristic – is it not, also, a summary of most of the female characters in his filmography ? This film will be it is more spectacular than his previous ones ?

The answer comes in the form of a foot of nose : Almodóvar does not propose to intro-signing !

The famous scene-voyeuristic-of-sex-explicit is replaced by a kind of clip ; a beautiful dolly side B&B in which a man crooner met many women, each different from the previous one, and characterizes a sentence .

The tone is set : in WOMEN on THE EDGE OF a nervous CRISIS, the aesthetic is still there, but the humor overrides the provocation.

There is also a return to the origins : Almodóvar puts the Women (the women) to the history center. The two main guys have an important story ; one is virtually present by the voice – after all, it is a dubber, a voice seductive, but which we can never verify the intentions of the fact of its distance. This character is driving the story without almost never intervene physically ! a find very well put in value.

The other, his son, is like the spectator, an observer remote which does not always include everything and has to unravel the quilt feminine through many questions.

”WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF a nervous breakdown is an Almodóvar light.

Attention ! Lightweight does not mean minor, on the contrary : it is one of his best films”

The characteristics of the director are in part there – write dialogue that is dense, accurate and vibrant, and secondary characters are great, the novelty comes from the suppression of any element of a taboo, synonymous of lightness. But this withdrawal is not so much a loss of quality, or personality. For me it means that the director is more interested to satisfy the viewer with surprise, that out of pride. Rather than fall into some form of repetition, a focus of the film is developed to the maximum. Thus, the scenario of WOMEN on THE EDGE OF hysterics is a gem.

Almodóvar scatters parts of her story like a puzzle. But a puzzle from a Bosch or a Or is Charlie (or Ivan)!

With malice, he takes a malicious pleasure to introduce us to still more elements with no logical or relief… At the beginning in all cases.

The genius attractive in the film comes from the way in which these elements, we are led by the director : by the development of an ever more inventive that keeps subtly our attention, without, however, intensify its effects.

Here, a plan playing with the twilight of an urban landscape, there, a travelling side composed with precision… A constant play on the famous voice of Ivan, car chases, punctuated with dialogues off-topic, unpredictable events… WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF a nervous breakdown is a film that is entertaining first and foremost in the layout image !

Then, Almodóvar is organising a reconstruction methodical of the puzzle that will lead to the resolution of the mystery.

Attention ! WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF a nervous breakdown is a part of these movies or the path to the solution is far more interesting than the solution itself.

The spectator lost can also count on the great Carmen Maura in order to understand the story. The actress we hang from the first to the last second, not by his hysteria (it is, on the contrary, very sober), but by natural. The intelligence mixed with instinct of her character make her one of these unique women, character total film and yet so near. Its interpretation as well as shades makes it all the more memorable in this role !

In short, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF a nervous breakdown is an Almodóvar light. But lightweight does not mean minor. The director deploys a treasure of inventiveness to maintain a high pace, both in the staging and in the profusion of elements of scriptwriting.

A film beautifully written on the summit of which throne, as always, Carmen Maura. the actress, who is much more sober than the usual is the key that causes, suffers, and clears up the mystery created by Almodóvar. An association that makes sparks fly, as usual.

 

Pedro Almodóvar : Price Light 2014

Pepi, Luci, Bom and other girls in the neighborhood of Pedro Almodóvar (Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón, 1980, 1h18)

That is what I have done to deserve this ? Pedro Almodóvar (¿ Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto !!, 1984, 1h47)

Matador by Pedro Almodóvar (1986, 1: 45)

The Law of desire by Pedro Almodóvar (La ley del deseo, 1987, 1h44)

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF a nervous breakdown by Pedro Almodóvar (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, 1988, 1: 35:)

Home-me ! Pedro Almodóvar (Átame !, 1989, 1h41)

High heels by Pedro Almodóvar (Tacones lejanos, 1991, 1h53)

The Flower of my secret by Pedro Almodóvar (La flor de mi secreto, 1995, 1h42)

In the flesh by Pedro Almodóvar (Carne trémula, 1997, 1h39)

All about my mother by Pedro Almodóvar (Todo sobre mi madre, 1999, 1: 40)

Talk to her by Pedro Almodóvar (Hable con ella, 2002, 1h52)

Volver by Pedro Almodóvar (2006, 2h02)

La piel habito that of Pedro Almodóvar (2011, 2h01)

Almodóvar Producer : Before-first

New wild from Damián Szifrón (Relatos salvajes, 2014, 2h02)

For the programming of the Festival of Light 2014 : go HERE

Projections of WOMEN on THE EDGE OF hysterics :

Pathé Bellecour : Monday, 13 October at 21: 30

CNP : Wednesday, October 15, at 20: 30

Cinema Opera : Friday, 17 October at 20: 30

Décines : Saturday, October 18 at 16h

• Original title : Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios

• Production : Pedro Almodóvar

• Screenplay : Pedro Almodóvar, after Jean Cocteau

• Main actors : Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano

• Country of origin : Spain

• Released : February 1, 1989

• Duration : 1h28min

• Distributor : Fox

• Synopsis : Ivan and Pepa, two of the actors of dubbing, lending their voices to the great stars of the cinema and swear every morning in the darkness of the studio an everlasting love. But Ivan abandoned suddenly Pepa. It will conduct its investigation and discover the double life of the man she loves.