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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Play trailer Poster for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown R Released Nov 11, 1988 1h 28m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 37 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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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

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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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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael 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 Full Review Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune A feminist comedy with real bite; it always brings down the house. Rated: 4/4 Aug 31, 2006 Full Review Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness An exuberant comedy of manners drunk on its own outlandish melodrama. May 4, 2005 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy An infectious confection. Rated: 3/4 Oct 18, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Leaburn O This is top class capers from Spain. The wacky but fun plot keeps the jaunty picture flowing and the characters are pretty likeable, Almodovar's finest I'd say. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

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Movie Info

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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