il Giardino Romantico

Before reading further, I must first admit to the fact that I have never seen an Almodovar film before this one.   However, I would say Volver wouldn't be a bad starting point for those who wish to become acquainted with the master's work of art.

[Warning: Contains plot and/or ending.]

Volver is set in the remote areas of Madrid.  Penelope Cruz plays a mother of a 14 year-old who accidentally kills her father as a result of defending herself from being sexually abused.  When Raimunda [Cruz] gets home and finds out, she wants her daughter to forget what she had done, and tries to find a place to hide the corpse.  However, the neighbor shows up asking her to look after his restaurant because he had to leave for Barcelona that very moment.  As Raimunda hides the body in the fridge, a member of a filming crew arrives and asks if the crew could come dine at the restaurant for the next couple of weeks.  Raimunda couldn't resist the money, so she agrees, obtains food from her friends for the first meal, and the restaurant is reopened for the filming crew. 

Without the slightest clue as to what to expect of the film, it turned out to be an extremely fascinating experience.  Though probably not in the way most would expect it to be.

Based on the sci-fi novel by Philip K. Dick, the movie was filmed first by real actors doing real performances, and then animated by a large crew of animators.  The final product we see on the screen is basically the combination of two movies added together. 

Why the heck did they go through all this ordeal just for a movie?

Although little computer generated special effect was needed, the film couldn't have been more effective if it had been presented with real actors, just like in a normal film.  The animated version created a protective shield for the truth that await to be revealed in the film.  The animated version fortified the craziness of the plot and complicated the already f*cked up characters even more.  [Come on, this is a movie about drug addicts!  I aint' gonna ask your pardon for one little f word] 

The essence of super-hero movies has just reached a whole new level of sophistication. It is no longer about glorifying a larger-than-life protagonist and their adventure of saving the world. The filmmaking industry has developed that particular appetite in the audience for a deeper psychological and mental development of the characters. The spectacular special effects created by computers can no longer satisfy the needs of the audience. Spider-man 3 is yet another movie that can be categorized as such that consists of a deeper analysis of character and plot and depicts the complications of human nature.

Here is a list of old movies reviews that were posted on my old blog at WRETCH. 

Van Helsing
50 First Dates
The Day After Tomorrow
Kill Bill 1 and 2
Troy
The Butterfly Effect