Opened: March 25, 1988

Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar

Starring: Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano, María Barranco, Rossy de Palma, Kiti Mánver, Guillermo Montesinos, Chus Lampreave, Loles León & Fernando Guillén

With a wild script featuring fantastic comedy, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is one of director Pedro Almodóvar’s best offerings.

Pepa (Carmen Maura) is desperate to speak to her former lover Iván (Fernando Guillén) but can’t get in contact with him. Her friend Candela (María Barranco) is nervous the police are looking for her and is hiding at Pepa’s when Carlos (Antonio Banderas), Iván’s son, shows up.

The way the storylines intersect will have you cracking up, but Almodóvar should be commended for the focus on women’s storylines in this film. Maura makes Pepa strong but allows cracks in her armor as things keep going wrong.

Like most of Almodóvar’s films, the production design and costumes are a colorful spectacle that infuse even more liveliness into the already high-spirited script.

Final say: Love these women. ★★★★★