Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
- comedy
- drama
The story
After being dumped by her lover, Pepa finds her life and the lives of those around her spiraling out of control in a deliciously chaotic series of events.
What it’s like
Saturated primary colour and warm, cramped Madrid interiors: red telephones, bright yellow and turquoise walls, tiled kitchens, and a sun-bleached rooftop that catches the light like a stage set. Almodóvar frames his rooms with theatrical symmetry and quick cuts, while the camera lingers on bright costumes and cluttered furniture, and a playful score of bolero and pop keeps the energy bouncing. The vibe is frantic, sunny and absurd, with a bittersweet undertow, the kind of comic chaos that feels like a screwball farce played out in a heatwave. Pacing is brisk and escalating, the emotional register tender beneath the slapstick, following a jilted woman and her circle of friends and former lovers as they lurch from one mishap to the next and gradually find solidarity. Its intensity is moderate: a suicide attempt, a sedative-laced dinner, and a brief bomb scare, all handled with comic rather than graphic treatment, with no gore and little real menace. Suited to a lively night in, a comfort rewatch, or anyone who wants a witty, warm, mischievous comedy about women supporting each other through heartbreak.
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