Volver
Sony
From the get-go, director Pedro Almodovar wants us to suspend our disbelief while watching Volver---to buy into its high-emotion chaos and its friendly maternal “ghost.” But the tale Almodovar has to tell is simpler than it first appears---it’s a story about female bonding and resilience, and healing long-festering wounds. The film is obviously influenced by Chinatown. But lively Volver ends on a note of hope, rather than despair.
Lindsay McCarney