Volver

Well. I had heard nothing but raves about this movie, but still knew basically nothing going into it. Which I like doing occasionally, but I was so surprised by elements of this film that I could have done with a bit of background I think. On a very basic level, this movie is about three generations of Spanish women reconnecting over a series of events in their life.

But on another level, the film was a whole bunch of contradictions. Colourful, but dark. Quirky humour, but serious themes. Superstitions galore addressed, but with a healthy dose of realism. I'm still not entirely convinced that it all worked well, but I do know that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I liked that a whole series of events happened at the beginning, and it was not entirely evident how they were all connected. But as more characters were introduced, all the stories came together as one, and despite the underlying theme of 'women and family becoming empowered' or similar, it was never soppy. I like it when it's not soppy.

I particularly appreciated the way some delicate issues were addressed, particularly that of child sexual abuse. Whilst it was obvious what was being dealt with, the movie never got bogged down in the gritty details, but rather the way that the aftermath was dealt with. Not of say of course that gritty details don't have a place, but it's not what this film was about. Somehow the quirky aspects of this film never took away from the seriousness that other parts deserved. A fine balance to strike indeed.

Having said that, something I can't put my finger on just didn't sit properly with me in this film. Maybe it's my lack of experience with the Spanish culture and not being able to fully invest (omg most overused term ever) in the beliefs and superstitions surrounding death that did pervade a lot of this movie. Who knows. But overall, it was delightful.

7