The Spanish comedy: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown was set in Madrid, Spain. I found this film as an out-there, slap- shtick comedy. I caught myself laughing at the absurd situations the main character, Pepa, kept finding herself in while trying to chase down her lover, Ivan. This film had alot of coincidences that pulled itself in a full circle.
I found the interactions of the Spanish speaking women with the men in the same culture as "no holds bar"... there was no personal space during dialog and the women (especially Pepa) had a very sexual/ forward way with words and approach.
The differences between women in the film and today's American women range between eccentric and forward. Similarities were also seen such as being vulnerable to being in love and determined for closure. Pepa was a strong character not only with her words but with her actions. In the end she had risen above her emotions after she had the closure she needed.
My impression about this film plot varies from the good, the bad and the ugly. After viewing my first Spanish comedy I understand that the Spanish culture has a different style of comedy/humor than the American culture. The plot was based on a woman (Pepa) who fell in love and had a relationship with a married man (Ivan). This movie kept taking you through a whirl wind tunnel of incidents that led Pepa to run into Ivan's son, accidentally drug his fiance with gazpacho laced with barbiturates then riding around town with a whacked out taxi driver. All the while her model friend comes to the condo running from the law because of involvement with falling in love and sheltering a terrorist. Oh oh oh..... but it gets better...... Ivan's psychotic wife knocks on the door to the condo to confront Pepa of the affair with two cops at her side to investigate the terrorist situation. HELLO, now with everyone in the condo (with the comatose fiance, mind you) Pepa offers everyone some laced gazpacho. The wife is the only one who does not drink because she has revenge on her mind....the cops pass out and Ivan's wife is off with thier guns on the back of a hijacked motorcycle with her wig-a-blazin' and her 50's pink Jackie Kennedy suit on. Pepa in the crazy taxi drivers ride in hot pursuit to stop Ivan's wife from killing Ivan at the airport, who is running away from all his responsibilities. (Pepa, his wife and son and reality). All ends well though....Pepa saves Ivan and has closure by ending the dysfunctional relationship. WOW...it was just too much for me, too many full circle coincidences.
I am really not sure if there is a difference between women from Spanish America and women from Spanish Europe. After viewing this film my impression of women from Spanish Europe has been swayed to thinking that they are brimming with casual sexual confidence with a drive to get things done. My only experience of women of the Spanish American culture would be the films I have viewed in this course. I feel that this culture of women have a strength and determination to get things done. Working hard to effectivly complete a task.
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I agree with your comments about no personal space. Pepa and all the women in this film were physically close to everyone they spoke too. Pepa appeared very confident when she spoke. Both her words and her body language were strong. She had quite a temper too. I don't know many people who would throw a phone through a french door.
ReplyDeleteTHe taxi driver you mentioned sure was an interesting character. He seemed to have quite an assortment of items in his cab. I am not sure I would have ridden in the cab, and certainly wouldn't have felt comfortable enough to ask for eye drops.
I really enjoyed reading your paragraph where you talked about the full circle coincidences. You really summarized things well, and made it very entertaining to read.
Sue Davish