Mujeres al borde de una pelicula fantastica
 Aug 24th, 2008
Advantages:
Great film, directing, acting and plot
Disadvantages:
none for me !
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
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Characters / Performances
Special Effects
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  charlsayslol
About me:
Hey I'm Charl. I also write on dooyoo as Charby, so please read my reviews there too if you're a mem...
Member since:01.03.2006
Reviews:77
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Review rated by 34 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
'Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown', or 'Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios' in the original Spanish, is a 1988 film directed by the world famous Pedro Almodovar, who has made popular films such as 'Volver', which was made in 2006, and 'Bad Education' in 2004. The general story of this film is that Pepa's lover Ivan has just left her, leaving her devastated and unsure as to what to do. She receives some important news, and tries to track down Ivan to tell him, as it 'concerns them both'. Meanwhile, Pepa's friend Candela is in trouble and keeps calling her for help, but Pepa is too busy with her own troubles to care, and Ivan's mentally disturbed ex-wife is just as keen to track down Ivan and get him back.
I apologise to fans of this film, as that brief synopsis in no way does justice to how fantastic this film is, nor does it really give the impression that this film is as bizarre as it is clever, but I really don't want to give away too much about this film or I won't be able to persuade you all to go and watch it! The film is in many ways similar to Pedro Almodovar's other offerings, as all the main characters are women (save for Ivan and his son, though both have little screen-time), and indeed you will recognise the majority of the actresses from other Almodovar and Spanish films: Carmen Maura, who plays Pepa, has also starred in 'Pepi, Luci, Bom', 'What Have I Done To Deserve This' and 'Volver', to name a few; Maria Barranco, who plays Candela, starred in 'Atame' (Tie me up, tie me down) and 'La niña de tus ojos'; and Rossy de Palma, who is a model, and is in other Almodovar films such as 'The Law of Desire' and 'Kika'. So, for all their impressive CVs, are the actors any good? Honestly, yes I do believe they are, although in a subtitled film it is easy to miss how well actors deliver their lines or if they speak realistically, as you are reading instead of listening, but their body language is realistic, and you at no point feel 'aware' that you are only watching a film. Antonio Banderas is good in his small part, though I must admit that it is strange to see him acting in Spanish, as I am used to see him acting in American films. Julieta Serrano plays the part of a mentally disturbed woman very well, though without being too over the top, which is exactly what the plot prescribes.
I love this film, though I'm not sure if everyone would share my opinion. The focus is heavily on the women characters, so men may feel alienated, though that really shouldn't be a problem as the film doesn't dwell too deeply on emotions, and is more of a comedy than a romantic film, so I recommend giving it a go to see if you like it. If you're not a fan of Almodovar films, then this film is unlikely to make you feel any different about him, but it is from a different era of his career than his recent successes, so view the film with an open mind and you'll hopefully enjoy it. Lastly, if you don't like watching fims with subtitles, then obviously you won't enjoy this unless you can speak Spanish (though unfortunately you can't turn them off and just watch it in the original language), but some of the best films in the world are not made in the English language, so please get over your subtitlaphobia and give it a go for the sake of good cinema. If you're interested in buying this film on DVD, then it can be found for £6 on Amazon, though the Almodovar Collection Volume 1 can be bought for £15, and includes this film as well as three more by the same director. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do, and become as big of an Almodovar geek as I am!
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![Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown [DVD] [1985]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78214879.jpg)
06.09.2008 17:22
Good review. Weirdly enough Subtitles dont bother me in a film, but I always thought they would detract from the plot. May seek this one out. C
24.08.2008 23:35
Great review here very well xx
24.08.2008 22:14
Good review I havent heard of this one before x