Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Name: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: November 11, 1988
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 85
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Carmen Maura, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma

1988

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 42 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 42 Ratings

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Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown

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Movie Details & Credits

Orion Classics | Release Date: November 11, 1988 | R

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carmen Maura, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma

Summary: The wildly hysterical international box office hit, women on the verge of a nervous breakdown, introduces us to Pepa who has just been jilted by an answering machine. The love of her life, Ivan, has just ended their relationship and she is heartbroken. But misery does love company. (MGM)

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 90 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

The film is flushed with bright light and cartoon hues, nicely accenting the fast-paced stew of incidents. Read full review

100

Jay Carr

The women here aren't afraid to get extreme about love, but in the end, you sense that they are too sound to destroy themselves over the worthless man they have allowed to personify it. That's what lifts Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown from the amusing to the sublime. [23 Dec 1988, p.23]

Kevin Thomas

The smiles don't fade until the finish of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown when we witness Pepa's realization that she has, in fact, come into her own and taken charge of her own destiny. [20 Dec 1988, p.1]

Empire David Parkinson

An explosion of garish colour, wacky detail and surreal complications, Almodovar’s very funny, urban comedy overflows with the unexpected. See it! Read full review

Desson Howe

Gorging on the bad, bad world of TV soap operas, tabloid news and those Roy Lichtenstein cartoons where anguished women lament their lives with "Brad," Spanish director Pedro Almodovar gets a wonderful rise out of life's lows in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

This often hilarious, irreverent and offbeat comedy is the most coherent young Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar has limned thus far. Read full review

Vincent Canby

The pace sometimes flags, and there are scenes in which the comic potential appears to be lost only because the camera is in the wrong place. Farce isn't easy to pull off, but Mr. Almodovar is well on his way to mastering this most difficult of all screen genres. Read full review

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User Reviews

azco98

Aug 2, 2013

Almodovar's best film yet. Hilarious, well acted and well written. A love letter to the stylish and crazy live that Spain lived in the 80's. Carmen Maura is brilliant.