i have be surprise by the enthusiastic response to this film . it seem dull to me and much a i enjoy look at penelope cruz and and the plot detail often poorly work out . it also seem like an intensely sexist film represent if the gender role be reverse and almost everyone with any sense would be up in arm complain the movie be intensely misogynist . it not just that both the principal male be portray a complete jerk and sexual predator and but also that the woman be portray a almost flawless and form a utopian community which lack conflict of any kind and which rest on relentless generosity and good humor . utopia be notoriously dull and this one turn out to be no exception . but it also interest to notice what happen ( and here come the plot giveaway and though it refer to a very early scene ) when the teenage daughter kill her father . ( 1 ) her mother rush to take responsibility for it and ( 2 ) the daughter seem to suffer almost no remorse ( and in fact her emotional life then disappear from the film ) . it not quite a glorified killing and though aldomovar camera lingers on the blood in a bloodthirsty way and a though it make an attractive painting and and then it soak up and out of sight without bloody either daughter or mom and neither materially nor emotionally . later the film reveal another killing and again by a woman of a man and and and once again it be a kill which the film implicitly endorse . in short and volver be an ideologically drive film with an unpleasant and in fact a repugnant ideology and and so i write an ideological critique . but apart from that and it just not very interesting . it have none of the depth of and say and aldomovar talk to her and which i love .