
Raimunda, her daughter Paula and her sister Sole travel from Madrid to the windy and superstitious village of Alcanfor de las Infantas to visit the grave of their mother Irene, who died years ago in a fire with her husband. Then they visit Irene's sister Paula, an old senile aunt that raised Raimunda after the death of her parents that insists to tell them that Irene is alive and living with her; later, they go to the house of her neighbor and friend Agustina, who gives a sup... (Full plot summary below)
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Raimunda, her daughter Paula and her sister Sole travel from Madrid to the windy and superstitious village of Alcanfor de las Infantas to visit the grave of their mother Irene, who died years ago in a fire with her husband. Then they visit Irene's sister Paula, an old senile aunt that raised Raimunda after the death of her parents that insists to tell them that Irene is alive and living with her; later, they go to the house of her neighbor and friend Agustina, who gives a support to Paula. They return to Madrid, and after a hard day of work, Raimunda meets her daughter completely distraught at the bus stop waiting for her. When they arrive home, Paula tells her mother that she killed her unemployed father Paco, who was completely drunk and tried to rape her. While Raimunda hides his body, Sole calls her to tell that their beloved aunt Paula has died. The next morning, Sole travels alone to the funeral, and when she returns to Madrid, she finds her mother hidden in the trunk of her car. She brings Irene to her apartment, where secrets from the past are disclosed.
Leave your thoughts about Volver.
| Rolling StonePeter TraversVolver is Almodovar's passionate tribute to the community of women -- living and dead -- who nurtured him. Through the transformative power of his art -- carried on the wings of Alberto Iglesias' exhilarating score -- we feel their presence. You do not want to miss this one. |
| Seattle TimesMoira MacDonaldThe result is intoxicating; a free-spinning story that's by its end enormously satisfying, creating its own kind of magic. |
| Jam! MoviesBruce KirklandA celebration of what women can and will do to survive this mortal coil. Penelope Cruz is transformed into a classic woman for all the ages. |
| eFilmCritic.comPeter SobczynskiFar and away the best and most convincing work that she has ever done. |
| Orlando SentinelRoger MooreIt's clever and entertaining. It's marvelously deft, but never daffy. It works well enough, despite feeling like the most conventional film this great, envelope-pushing Spanish director has ever made. |
| Charlotte WeeklySean O'ConnellSupplying dialogue for multifaceted female characters isn't Almodovar's lone specialty, but it's safe to say he does it better than most people in the film business today. |
| eFilmCritic.comDan LybargerSo how good is Spanish writer-director Pedro Almodóvar's latest effort? "Volver" (to return) is so mesmerizingly quirky that I sat through a screening with an injured right arm writhing with pain as I became immersed in the film. |
| Sacramento News & ReviewJim Lane...a knowing treatise on the currents that run between mothers and daughters. |
| Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)Jonathan R. PerryHollywood, take notice: If you hand Penelope Cruz a role with more depth than the paper it's printed on, this is what you'll get. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIt is refreshing to see Cruz acting in the culture and language that is her own. As it did with Sophia Loren in the 1950s, Hollywood has tried to force Cruz into a series of show-biz categories, when she is obviously most at home playing a woman like the ones she knew, grew up with, could have become. |