Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (original title)

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writers:

Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay)
Pedro Almodóvar (story)

Release Date:

11 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A woman's lover leaves her, and she tries to contact him to find out why he's left. She confronts his wife and son...

Plot Keywords:

Suicide Attempt | Spain | Apartment Building | Apartment | Burning Bed

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 24 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Carmen Maura	...	Pepa
Antonio Banderas	...	Carlos
Julieta Serrano	...	Lucía
María Barranco	...	Candela
Rossy de Palma	...	Marisa
Kiti Mánver	...	Paulina Morales (as Kiti Manver)
Guillermo Montesinos	...	Taxista
Chus Lampreave	...	Portera Testiga de Jehová
Eduardo Calvo	...	Padre de Lucía (as Yayo Calvo)
Loles León	...	Secretaria
Ángel de Andrés López	...	Policía I (as Angel de Andrés-López)
Fernando Guillén	...	Iván
Juan Lombardero	...	Germán
José Antonio Navarro	...	Policía II
Ana Leza	...	Ana
Ambite	...	Ambite
Mary González	...	Madre Lucía
Lupe Barrado	...	Secretaria Paulina
Joaquín Climent	...	Policía I Spot
Chema Gil	...	Policía II Spot
Gabriel Latorre	...	Cura
Francisca Caballero	...	Locutora TV
Carlos García Cambero	...	Empleado averías (as Carlos Gambero)
Agustín Almodóvar	...	Empleado Inmobiliaria
Tomás Corrales	...	Basurero
Eva González	...	Chica que baila
Carmen Espada	...	Farmacéutica
Susana Miraño	...	Clienta Enmascarada I
Paquita Fernández	...	Clienta Enmascarada II
Federico García Cambero	...	Dependiente Farmacia (as Federico Gambero)
Gregorio Ros	...	Médico (as Gregorio Ross)
Paco Virseda	...	Mensajero
Imanol Uribe	...	Marido
José Marco	...	Padrino

Directed by
Pedro Almodóvar

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pedro Almodóvar		screenplay
Pedro Almodóvar		story

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar	....	executive producer
Pedro Almodóvar	....	producer
Antonio Llorens	....	associate producer (as Antonio Lloréns)

Original Music by
Bernardo Bonezzi

Cinematography by
José Luis Alcaine

Film Editing by
José Salcedo

Set Decoration by
Emilio Cañuelo		(settings)
Félix Murcia

Costume Design by
José María De Cossío		(as José Mª. de Cossío)

Makeup Department
Jesús Moncusi	....	hair stylist
Gregorio Ros	....	makeup artist
Juan Pedro Hernández	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Esther García	....	production manager (as Ester García)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Julián Núñez	....	assistant director
Miguel Ángel Pérez Campos	....	assistant director

Art Department
Federico del Cerro	....	set dresser
Carlos García Cambero	....	assistant decorator (as Carlos G. Cambero)
David Jareño	....	property master
Ramón Moya	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Luis Castro	....	sound effects
Eduardo Fernández	....	sound mixer
Gilles Ortion	....	sound (as Guilles Ortión)
Antonio Rodríguez 'Mármol'	....	boom operator (as Antonio Rodríguez)

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Pablo Núñez	....	titles and opticals (as Pablo Nuñez)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paulino Alonso	....	lighting technician
Alberto Arnal	....	electrician
Enrique Bello	....	electrician
Fernando Beltrán	....	electrician
Macusa Cores	....	still photographer
Joaquín Manchado	....	assistant camera
Alfredo Mayo	....	second camera operator
Carlos Miguel	....	key grip
Fulgencio Rodríguez	....	chief electrician
Juan Carlos Rodríguez	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Josune Lasa	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Manolo Laguna	....	assistant editor
Ximo Michavila	....	telecine colorist
Rosa Ortiz	....	assistant editor (as Rosa Mª. Ortiz)

Music Department
Tino Azores	....	music engineer
Lola Beltrán	....	soloist

Transportation Department
Ángel Frutos	....	driver
Julián Hernández	....	driver
José Mancheño	....	driver
Ángel Megino	....	transportation (as Angel Megino)

Other crew
Emilio Ardura	....	tapestry
Paco Ardura	....	animal consultant (as Francisco Ardura)
Fernanda Arnal	....	production secretary
Juan Carlos Caro	....	second production assistant
Tomás Corrales	....	assistant to director
Juan Carlos Garrido	....	location manager
Alicia González	....	title assistant: Studio Gatti
Marisa Ibarra	....	script girl
Alfonso Jadraque	....	permissions
Carlos Lázaro	....	second production assistant
Alicia Moreno	....	cashier
Alejandro Vázquez	....	production assistant
Juan Gatti	....	title designer (uncredited)

Thanks
Mariano García	....	acknowledgment
Juan Luis Lábano	....	acknowledgment

Production Companies

• El Deseo S.A.
• Laurenfilm

Distributors

• Laurenfilm (1988) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Orion Classics (1988) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (video)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1989) (Germany) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1990) (Germany) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (video)
• Euro Space (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Flashstar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Camera Rent  camera equipment provided by
• Cinetel  electrical material
• Coprisa  financing
• Cornejo  wardrobe
• Decor-Moya  sets
• Exa S.A.  sound recording
• Legiscine  management
• Peris Hermanos  wardrobe (as Peris Hnos.)
• Story Film-Pablo Núñez  titles and opticals
• Stvdio Gatti  title graphics design
• Vázquez Hermanos  props (as Vázquez Hnos.)

Also Known As:

"Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios" - Spain (original title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Hong Kong:IIB | UK:12 (re-rating) (2005) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Estudios Barajas, Madrid, Spain

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

Pedro Almodóvar and Carmen Maura's personal relationship was seriously damaged during the shooting, which Maura even defined as a "living hell". It took 18 years for them to work again.

Goofs:

Continuity: The sheets move position (due to multiple edits) when Pepa throws the lit matches on the bed.

Quotes:

Carlos:What happened?
Pepa:She fell asleep.
Candela:So suddenly?
Pepa:Yes. The strangest things can happen suddenly.
Paulina Morales:She must turn herself in, go to jail, and let the jury decide her case.
Pepa:I don't understand.
Paulina Morales:She's committed a crime.
Pepa:Her only crime was falling in love and being afraid. I'd do the same.
Paulina Morales:I'm sure.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gossip Girl: Woman on the Verge (#1.17)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Scherezade

"Ask her who the hell is Ivan!" "Who the hell is Ivan?"

There are some movies that, no matter how good the translation, are just impossible for a particular audience to get. This is why I think most of the American audience wasn't be able to get into WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. After directing the rather weak and disappointing drama/thriller LAW OF DESIRE, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar returned to screens in his full glory with this wonderful Academy Award-nominated screwball comedy.

Pepa (Almodovar regular Carmen Maura) works as an actress for TV commercials and dubbing of foreign films. Her lover Ivan (Fernando Guillen), who shares the same job, decides to leave her one day for unknown reasons, leading Pepa to assume he left with his wife Lucia (Julieta Serrano), who was recently released from the mental hospital. But after a while, Pepa realizes Lucia thinks the exact opposite, and that Ivan left for an unknown third woman. While on her quest to find this third woman, Pepa has to deal with her nervous friend Candela (Maria Barranco) who recently found out her boyfriend is a wanted terrorist and Carlos, (Antonio Banderas) Ivan's son whose annoying fiancé ends up getting accidentally knocked off by a rather lethal gazpacho.

Going any further with this film's plot would be unfair since most of the humor is delivered from it's many twists and turns. Almodovar was able to write a script so sharp with so many colorful characters and situations that the entire thing goes down with pure laughter. But is everyone laughing?

That brings me to the answer as to why many people didn't find this funny at all. If you don't speak or understand Spanish, (or some other language that comes from Latin) you won't be able to get this film as much as others. There is a reason why so many American comedians are never able to make it overseas: Humor is simply not international. The rumored but thankfully never completed American remake of this would have never worked. The performances for example: To people who understand the language, you can tell when the characters are being ironic, sarcastic, goofy, or serious. I don't think you can do that very well when English is your first language. So the users that have been complaining about "flat" performances might be already explained.

Almodovar has been accused of being a feminist, and this movie might be the main reason. I don't quite agree with that because WOMEN doesn't really leave strong message. If it does, I know few people who would actually care for it because this movie is hilarious. Every single character in these 90 minutes of absurdity gets well-balanced and get enough amount of time to shine: The MAMBO TAXI driver for example, turns out to be one of the funniest elements. The scenes all by themselves are already OK, but the frequency that they happen make them somehow even funnier. And the first-rate acting gets a big plus in my book. Everyone here is perfect (including a very scary way Almodovar coaches a good performance out of Antonio Banderas) with the true stand-out being Carmen Maura as over-the-top neurotic Pepa. It is a shame this was Maura's last collaboration with Almodovar.

But WOMAN's style is also not to be ignored: Most of the movie is set inside Pepa's apartment, which is put to good use. It is an amazing then-futuristic-looking retro set that with it's sitcom-like camp and artificial looking painted backgrounds becomes almost a character itself. Cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine's camera is always up to interesting moves: There is the tracking shot of Pepa's feet as she walks in circles waiting for her call, or the reflection take from the answering machine. The work with colors is equally stunning, with the main colors being yellow and blue, and Pepa's red dress "over coloring" the environments around her for most of the time. You could freeze frame almost every interior shot of WOMEN... and stare at it for a while.

I can't really recommend this movie enough, as much as hard it is to review comedies. Reviewing a comedy is a tough call since it depends on weather you found the material funny or not. I have seen this over ten times and I always laugh at certain moments which I don't want to spoil. Let's just say the Jehovah's testimony and the TV commercial are the parts that always get me. I certainly did enjoy WOMEN... more than any other comedy I have ever seen.

(5/5)