SUMMER FILM SPECIAL
The ten unmissable mowes of the season
Volver
In Pedro Almodovar’s new film, Penelope Cruz puts in the performance of a lifetime. Miles Fielder asks Cruz what set her on fire. L‘dt't) x\lltttid0\;tl' has long sinee reaehed the point ol~ heing \xidel} eonsidered one ol the \iorld‘s linest lilmmakers. lla\ing
reimented Spanish einetna praetieall} single— handedl} in the l‘).\’()s \\ ith a string ol' halm} hut
hrilliant lilms. ineluding llimmi on I/ll’ li'rgt' of
.‘I .\.('I'l’r)ll\ HI‘t'tl/u/Uli‘ll and '/l(' .Ut’ (i/l. i/lt‘ .Ut' Hort/i. .-\lmodo\ar has relined. matured and inereasingl} imested his l‘ilmmaking uith passion.
.-\lmodo\ar's latest lilm is no e\eeption. .\'arro\\l} missing heing awarded the ('annes Palme d'()r this Ma}. Iii/l‘t‘l' ne\ertheless marks _\et another leap liorxxard in an e\traordinar_\ eareer. ()nee again. the man from La .\laneha demonstrates his skill tor \s'riting great roles l‘or women and elieiting top elass perl‘ormanees l'rom his aetresses tin this ease his leading lad} Penelope (‘ru/ and \eteran Spanish star ('armen Maura. \\ ith \xhom .-\lmodo\ar made his lirst si\ lilmsi. .-\gain. :\lmodo\ar displa}s the ease \xith \xhieh he mi\es and matehes genres there melodrama and murder m_\ster_\ l. .-\nd as \xith the rest or his oeu\ re. .»\lmodo\ar has l'ashioned a film that is st) lish and sumptuonsh einematie.
llo\\e\'er. \\ith lit/i't'r tuhieh loosel} translated means ‘eoming haek' l the Stu-)ear-old lilmmaker has aehie\ ed something new lle's tnade a return to throaderi eomed) and alter the naught} hots of his pt'e\iotis lilm litu/ [adulation ~ to \\ riting ahout \xomen. He has also returned to the plaee \\ here he grew up. to make his most Manehegan film to date. The result'.’ 'I ha\e the impression.‘ .-\lmodo\ar sa_\ s. ‘that through this film. 1 ha\e gone through a mourning period. I haVe said goodh) e to something: in} _\outh‘."
l'o/i't'r. then. is a \er} personal as \\ ell as
l‘rol'essional aehie\enient l‘or .-\lmodo\ar. It mourning and mming on is \\ hat the direetor
himsell got out ol‘ making his film. then that's orin right. gi\en that \h/u'r dramatises those Very things. (‘ru/ p|a_\s a )oung mother named
16 THE LIST '5 . _. I
Raimunda. working hard to make ends meet in Madrid tt}pieall} l'or .-\lmodo\ar. Raimunda is a halls} hilt emotionth l'ragile ligure. who also happens to ha\ e a l'ahulous ligurei. When something terrihle happens in her home. Raimunda has to think last to sa\ e her daughter's llik'. llt‘l‘ aetions |ea\e liL‘l' litlelllg tl lL‘l't‘llilL‘ dilemma. hut help arri\ es une\peetedl} lrom the \ illage in la .\laneha \xhere Raimunda greu up. .-\lmodo\ar \\ rote the role ol' Raimunda speeilieall} l'or ('ru/. \shom he lirsl east in his l‘)‘)7 liltll /.I'\'t' /'/('\/l as ;t lititikel‘ “ho goes llllU
lahour on a hus during the lirst eight minutes ol‘
the lilm. ‘l ler Raimunda is a loree ol~ naluref sa}s ;\lmodo\ar. ‘She's strong-minded. hut it is the mi\ture \\llll sudden. de\astating emotion \xhieh makes her indispensable. :\nd her heaut} 3‘
‘Pedro \\;is thinking ahout tne tor the role ol‘
the daughter." (‘ru/ sa_\s. 'heeause it “as se\en wars ago \\ hen he hegan thinking ahout the lilm. .-\nd then \xhen he \\as \\ riting the seript. he said. “\o\\ I see )titi more as the lead eharaeter. You ean pla_\ her." I thought it \\as the best seript l'd ex er read iii m_\ lilef
('rU/ made her film dehut iii [002 in lligus Luna’s erotie eomed} .lumun. .ltl/llH/I. ller lilms \xith .’\lmodo\ar hrought her international reeognition. uhieh led to a mo\e to lloll}\\ood. her lirst Iinglish language lilm. Hie Ill-l.“ ('ummjr. romanee \xith 'l'om (raise and a string ol' hloekhustet‘s ineluding lit/it'l/u Ski. So iii/i't'r is also something ot‘ a return l‘or ('ru/.
‘I don‘t \xanl to stop \\ot'king in m_\ eountr}.' sa}s (rm. ‘and l \xant to make e\er} Him ie \\ ith Pedro? Raimunda is a demanding eharaeter. She is a loree ol' nature. That \\as \\h_\ she has that ph_\sieal aspeet [Raimunda has an e\traordinar} eleawge and haekside. the hunter (‘ru/"s. the latter padding]. In Spain] she eontinues. 'there are some xxomen like this. I alua}s sau m) mother like Raimunda. She “as a super-nomanY I LIUll‘l i\llU\\ him she did it \\ illl three kids.
'.-\ll m} lil'e.’ (‘i‘u/ sa_\ s. 'I kneu I named to ha\e ehildren. It has not ehanged. But \Kllii the three mo\ ies l ha\e done \\ ith Pedro I ha\ e been a mother. li\ en hel‘ore I met him. I tell like I alread} kneu him. lt \\ as so powerful. .-\nd it gets bigger and bigger e\ er} da}. I adore Pedro .‘\illl(KIU\Lll'. He‘s a reall_\ speeial person in m} lil‘e.‘
Selected cinemas, Fri 25 Aug.
‘THROUGH THIS FILM I HAVE GONE THROUGH A MOURNING PERIOD THAT I NEEDED. I HAVE SAID GOODBYE TO SOMETHING: MY YOUTH?’