We have our heroine, Pepa, and a hodgepodge of slightly nutty women:
Candela (the amiga), Marisa (sleeping fiance), Lucia (Ivan's vengeful ex), Paulina (la "feminista"), plus a Jehovah's witness, angry biker Ana and a nutty receptionist.
Pick any and all women to discuss. Are they:
1) Flawed?
2) Likable?
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11 comments:
Oh, they are a bit past slightly nutty. I think there is a graceful use of stereotypes. You have the ditsy bimbo who, although she is responsible for much of the commotion, is very likeable and you are glad to see that she gets the guy away from the cold fish he was going to marry. And you have the scheming “feminista” who is no friend of women—and a lawyer to boot—who you love to despise. You are glad she gets her bitch slap.
Pepa is the one to figure out.
I found them all likeable BECAUSE of their flaws. Almodovar seems to thrive in a roomful of vulnerabilities.
Yes, he does indeed.
I thought Pepa was an amazing heroine/protagonist ... the first time I saw the movie, I thought she was plain-looking, but she has this great character that makes her beautiful.
(SPOILER)
Despite her meltdown, I love how she handles herself ... telling off Candela and the kids about how young people don't know how to fight for things; saying whatever she wants; slapping that lawyer; knowing when to cut her losses; saving Ivan but not going back to him. She is strong and magnificent.
On the other hand, I loved her vulnerabilities, too. I wanted to cry when she cried in the mambo taxi. And I loved the bed fire/suitcase packing extravaganza.
Candela, on the other hand, wore on my nerves. It might have been the range of the actress, which seemed limited to conveying vulnerability by her fiddling with her lower lip.
I did like her meltdown in front of the police, blamed on Lucia's dress. I could see her really crying over a fashion faux pas. And I did root for her to steal away the fiance.
Plot spoiler:
Question: Did Pepa get over Ivan in the end because she saw a similarity between herself and Lucia? Perhaps, pregnant with Ivan's child and with Ivan leaving her too - Pepa didn't want to follow Lucia to the nut house?
That’s an interesting idea. She did say something to the effect that if she had talked to him just a bit earlier she might have taken him back.
Ooh, that is interesting.
Yeah, I'd say Pepa was able to let go of Ivan because she saw what happened to Lucia, and saw the path she was headed down.
I think that's also why she was able to connect with Marisa -- Pepa made the comment that Carlos was just like his father when he started trying to kiss Candella; at a different point she even mistakenly called him Ivan. At the end on the terrace it's like she's saved Marisa from the same fate.
Indeed. Excellent point.
Great point, NM ... one of my later posts was going to be when Pepa decided Ivan had run out of chances, but you've summed that up pretty well. I hadn't made up my mind, myself.
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