Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 22, 2017

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Pedro Almodovar's " Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" a.k.a. "Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new video interview with the Spanish director; exclusive new video interview with actress Carmen Maura; new video interview with producer Agustin Almodovar; and more. an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Elvira Lindo. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Rejected

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is the film that placed Pedro Almodovar amongst Europe’s elite directors. Before its release he had enjoyed some domestic success with Dark Habits and Matador, but it was the enthusiastic international reception of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown that profoundly changed the Spanish helmer’s career.

At the center of the film is Pepa (a truly brilliant Carmen Maura) who has recently discovered that her lover, Ivan (Fernando Guillén), has ditched her for another woman. She has tried to quickly restore balance in her life -- by arguing with the voices in her head that all men are the same and that without Ivan she is actually going to feel a lot better -- but has failed miserably and is now ready to end it with a big jug of cold gazpacho loaded with some tiny sleeping pills. Her plan is put on hold when her best friend, Candela (María Barranco), appears concerned that the cops might be after her because her ex-lover has been assisting a radical group of Shiite terrorists. Then Carlos (Antonio Banderas) and his girlfriend Marisa (Rossy de Palma) also ring her doorbell and exacerbate her headache. Eventually, the cops arrive, and then Ivan’s wife, Lucia (Julieta Serrano), rushes in with a loaded gun.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a wild and brilliantly scripted film that loves playing with the viewer’s expectations. Frankly, watching it feels a bit like getting drunk -- slowly but effectively -- while downing freshly made exotic cocktails. It is tremendously colorful, full of different themes and flavors, and unexpectedly effective.

The film’s biggest strength comes from Almodovar’s impressive ability to effectively deconstruct the female psyche. For example, he recognizes women’s vulnerabilities but instead of trying to mask them with the safe clichés the two sexes love to use when they stay politically correct he embraces them and actually helps them emerge as real human beings. This is a process in which Almodovar typically goes to some fascinating extremes in order to be as efficient as possible -- hence the reason why a lot of his later films introduce some pretty spectacular contrasts -- but the female characterizations are always remarkably accurate.

In this film Almodovar introduces a group of normal female characters with different vulnerabilities that find a way to regain their composure after they are essentially left to self-destruct. The circumstances that shape up their transformations from victims to victors, however, are anything but normal. Basically, there are series of odd tests that force them out of their comfort zones but ultimately help them realize that their lives can be a lot more satisfying. It may not initially look like one, but it is a very strong feminist film.

Almodovar shot the film with his regular cinematographer, José Luis Alcaine. The two are an unbeatable team. While a lot of their later collaborations can look even more impressive, the use of colors and light here is quite striking.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pedro Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner. The restoration was undertaken from the 35mm original camera negative at Deluxe, Madrid, under the supervision of director Pedro Almodovar and executive producer Agustin Almodovar. The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm magnetic track. Additional restoration was undertaken by the Criterion Collection using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX. Please be sure to enable Dolby Pro Logic decoding on your receiver to properly play the Dolby 2.0 surround soundtrack.

Transfer supervisor: Juanjo Carretero.
Colorist: Chema Alba/Deluxe Madrid."

The film has been recently restored in 2K by French label TF1. The release is sourced from the same new master that StudioCanal accessed when they prepared their #Review of the film last year.

I have now seen seven of the recent restorations/remasters that were completed by TF1 and I have to say that every single one of them has been quite spectacular. I can state with absolutely certainty that all of these films have never looked this good before.

The improvements in terms of detail and clarity are substantial, but I think that the most impressive results are in the area of color reproduction. Indeed, Pedro Almodovar's films typically have very precise and effective color schemes and in the case of the remastered Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown saturation, nuances and overall balance are simply flawless. I also would like to mention that on a lot of the old transfers that Sony Pictures used for the Viva Pedro: The Almodóvar Collection box set shadow definition struggles with plenty of black crush that makes the DVD release look average at best when upscaled, but the remaster gives the film an all-around solid and balanced organic appearance that is very attractive. Indeed, if you project you will instantly see that the filmic quality both in terms of density and fluidity is fantastic. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Overall image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are absolutely no debris, scratches, damage marks, cuts, stains, or other annoying age-related imperfections. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I prefer the Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but you should experiment with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well and decide which one you like. I think that the slightly more compact sound of the former serves better the film's 80s identity. As I mentioned in our review of the StudioCanal release, it is quite clear to me that the audio has been fully remastered because depth, fluidity and balance are excellent. There are no digital anomalies to report either.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original Orion Pictures trailer. In English and Spanish, with printed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Pedro Almodovar - in this new video interview, Pedro Almodovar discusses his approach to filming a comedy and its function as a representation of reality, as well as the shooting of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (17 min, 1080p).

• Carmen Maura - in this new video interview, actress Carmen Maura (Pepa) recalls how she entered the film business and discusses her contribution to Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (20 min, 1080p).

• Agustin Almodovar - in this new video interview, producer Agustin Almodovar discusses his unique relationship with his brother, Pedro Almodovar, and the stylization and unique themes of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in Madrid in 2016. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (17 min, 1080p).

• Richard Pena - in this new video interview, film professor and former programmer of the New York Film Festival Richard Pena discusses the key themes and visual style of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Elvira Lindo.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It took a while for Pedro Almodovar's classic films to start appearing on Blu-ray, but now that they have been fully remastered and restored under his supervision I have to say that the delay was well worth it. I have seen seven that have transitioned to Blu-ray in other regions and they look absolutely stunning in high-definition. I think that after Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) it is only a matter of time before they enter the Criterion Collection. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.