Volver (2006)
#69 in my 2007 movie challenge was Pedro Almodovar’s Volver. It’s a dark, funny meditation on the support that women give and get when times get tough. Penelope Cruz is lovely, tough, and vulnerable as Raimunda, and is far better than in any American film I’ve seen. Throughout, there is heightened style, deliberate use of color, and steady tension that gave homage to Hitchcock. The look, coupled with Almodovar’s sympathetic female characters, and bittersweet drama, made this one of my favorite recent films.