Directed by: Pedro Almodovar
Staring: Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas and Blanca Portillo( Sub-titles)
Raimunda lives in Madrid with her daughter Paula and her husband Paco, who is always drunk. Her sister, Sole, is separated and works clandestinely as a hairstylist for women. The two sisters lost their parents in a fire in La Mancha, their birth village, years ago. Their aunt, Paula still lives in the village and continues to speak about her sister Irene, mother of the two sisters, as if she were still alive. When the old aunt dies the situation changes and the past returns (volver) in a twist of mystery and suspense.
Humour and heartstring pulling hit the mark as do most of the cast, not least Penelope Cruz. It’s the perfect blend of pride and vulnerability, spirit and sadness that really makes her performance stand out.