Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master ListVenice · 1
Spoiler-free premise
A voice actress tries to reach a former lover while an escalating series of crises fills her apartment.
Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free+
Madrid voice actress Pepa tries to contact lover Iván after he abruptly leaves her. Her apartment fills with Iván's wife, his son and fiancée, Pepa's fugitive friend Candela, police, and a pan of gazpacho containing sleeping pills.
Why it belongs
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown plays romantic panic as pop farce through saturated design, rapid entrances, telephone frustration, and an exuberant female ensemble.
Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case+
Telephones, dubbing booths, taxis, terrace views, burning beds, and sedative-laced gazpacho keep crises crossing inside one bright apartment. Carmen Maura's speed and control give the screwball escalation an emotional center.
