Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

R

Released Nov 11, 1988

1h 28m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

When Pepa Marcos' (Carmen Maura) lover Ivan (Fernando Guillén) suddenly leaves her without any explanation, she embarks on a strange journey to discover why. On the way she meets a variety of eccentric characters, including Ivan's son from a previous relationship (Antonio Banderas), his fiancee Marissa (Rossy de Palma) and a Shiite terrorist cell who have been secretly holding her best friend Candela (María Barranco) hostage. It's a film noir take on the romantic comedy.

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Critics Consensus

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown finds writer-director Pedro Almodóvar working in a distinctly feminist vein, with richly rewarding results.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

The most original pop writer-director of the eighties, [Almodovar is] Godard with a human face -- a happy face. His new Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, his seventh feature (since 1980), is one of the jauntiest of all war-of-the-sexes comedies.

Sep 11, 2023

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Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

A feminist comedy with real bite; it always brings down the house.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 31, 2006

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

An exuberant comedy of manners drunk on its own outlandish melodrama.

May 4, 2005

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

I defy you to watch Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and dare to find a lack of passion, craft, or ability. Almodóvar shows all of these and continues to throughout his entire filmography...

Feb 23, 2024

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Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Almodovar keeps the swirling goings-on in clear focus, deepening his material with dreams so powerful they alter the contours of individual personalities.

May 9, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

An infectious confection.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 18, 2022

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Olivia T

I really enjoyed the setting of this movie, especially the apartment, with the terrace. The many plants, the chickens, the beach ball, the fake grass mats, all of the bright colors give a dreamy and hazy atmosphere that further perpetuates the confusion and detachment that Pepa is stuck in throughout the movie. The characters were wonderfully cast, the plot is melancholic and funny.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/25

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Lucas A

It's really charming. It narrates wemen chasing after a man who deceives them (story also replicated in his son), ending up turning them against each other. At first glance it seemed a little mundane to me, but it lifts up it's interest with the scenes that occur once people start arriving at the apartment. The man's final rescue scene is very, very bad. However, the last 30 minutes left a sweet taste.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

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Jhosep G

The way the story develops and unfolds itself using so little setting is amazing. And the way everything ends up being related, makes you get pretty immerse in the story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

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Alec B

I like the way the legacy of Franco's dictatorship is sort of unspoken motivation for each of the older characters. It's still a farce, but one where the stakes feel real.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

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Kevin L

Quite clever, well-paced, and a number of laughs amid the soap satire and farcical melodrama. I didn't recognize Banders until like twenty minutes into the movie. But credit that mostly to the skill of Almodovar and his cast more than his being so young at the time. There's a dated, 'of an era' feel to the film, but I could've also watched years sooner. Still, good fun with the likes of Maura, Serrano, Montesimos (the wacky cabby), Manver, and De Palma. 3.4 stars

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

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Alexsander F

Fellini sempre falava que, "antes de tudo um filme é um quadro" e este filme do Almodóvar é sim um quadro, uma obra-de arte.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

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Pedro Almodóvar

Director

Carmen Maura

Pepa Marcos

Antonio Banderas

Carlos

Julieta Serrano

Lucía

María Barranco

Candela

Rossy de Palma

Marisa

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Synopsis

When Pepa Marcos' (Carmen Maura) lover Ivan (Fernando Guillén) suddenly leaves her without any explanation, she embarks on a strange journey to discover why. On the way she meets a variety of eccentric characters, including Ivan's son from a previous relationship (Antonio Banderas), his fiancee Marissa (Rossy de Palma) and a Shiite terrorist cell who have been secretly holding her best friend Candela (María Barranco) hostage. It's a film noir take on the romantic comedy.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Producer: Pedro Almodóvar
Distributor: Orion Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: El Deseo S.A.
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: European Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.2M
Runtime: 1h 28m

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