Written and Directed by: Pedro Almodovar

Starring: Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura and Lola Duenas

We're never really sure what we should be paying attention to in Volver, and that's half the fun of it. Mixing melodrama and odd bits of comedy as usual, director Almodovar weaves a ghost story, a dark family secret, and (why not?) a deserted restaurant in one pleasing film-going experience. A better-than-usual Penelope Cruz leads a game and charismatic cast through the engrossing first half of the film, in which the audience wonders how all the mysteries, secrets and lies will unravel.

The problem with Volver occurs once the characters' hidden agendas are exposed. Secrets are revealed, and then accepted easily. Liars are confronted, and then instantly forgiven. Since the risks have apparently little to no consequences, we're left only to watch the talented cast go through the anti-dramatic paces. Sadly, Almodovar's screenplay doesn't give us the "wow" return-on-investment we've all been hoping for.
 
Thankfully, the cast shines. Carmen Maura, playing Cruz's mother, is at once comic relief and (essentially) the heart of Volver. Maura's facial expressions are the stuff of silent films, from tenderness to sheer delight, her performance is the most satisfying performance in the film. Lola Duenas is also terrific as the wide-eyed, go-with-the-flow sister of Cruz, keeping the flow of Volver light and funny, even when the subject matter turns dark in the film's final third act.

Almodovar (as director) excels in capturing the smaller moments of Volver, which adds to the atmospheric warmth of the film. The selection of vegetables for a large dinner is given extreme close-ups, while a grisly act of self-defense is left off-screen. Volver, through Almodovar's colorful vision, illustrates how the love of family and friends can shine through the darkest of human behavior.

The disappointment of Volver (which means "to return"), though slight, comes from the screenplay's insistence on tying up the whirlwind of multiple characters, storylines, and emotional risk in a too-tidy ending. What begins as a whimsical dramedy with enough quirkiness for several "Ugly Betty" episodes, sadly ends up being an above-average episode of "Desperate Housewives". Not that there's anything wrong with that.

- brian masefield