Sunday, June 26, 2011

Week 2: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Antonio Banderas and Carmen Maura return for another beautiful Almodóvar production. This time, Maura (aka Tina from Law of Desire) takes center stage – and rightly so. From the vivacious Tina to the clingy and miserable Pepa in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Maura showcases her magnificent range (something Almodóvar surely could not have missed in casting her). In Women, Maura takes on a weaker role: a heartbroken woman prone to fainting spells and self-medication. But this isn’t some depressing drama on heartbreak. NO SIR. It’s a hilarious look at the relationships between men and women. It’s a light-hearted slap in the face of masculinity. It’s a telenovela for the big screen.