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The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown review – a gorgeous take on a flawed musical
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is one of those films you really should have on your bucket list. Pedro Almodóvar's 1988 Spanish farce (currently streaming on SBS on Demand) follows actress Pepa, whose lover Iván has broken up with her over answering machine, and her long day trying to get in touch with him. Along the way, she collides with Iván's ex-wife, a young couple who turn out to also be connected to him, and her best friend Candela. Men are ruining everyone's day. It's funny, clever and dark. The musical adaptation, written by Jeffrey Lane (best known for his musical adaptation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) with music and lyrics by David Yazbek (also Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and more recently the freshly Tony-nominated Dead Outlaw) premiered on Broadway 15 years ago – to middling (at best) reviews. Both its New York and West End seasons were cut short due to poor sales. So why is this musical getting a fresh run in Australia? Three words: director Alexander Berlage. He's the perfect fit for a show that needs to be stylish down to its bones – and needs a new vision. Berlage started out on the experimental side of indie theatre before he found his way to musicals (often as a lighting designer as well as director), immediately committing to theatrical rigour, camp and playful subversion. His first outing at the Hayes, Cry-Baby the Musical (based on the John Waters film) restored an anarchic spirit to a show that had turned saccharine on Broadway; the follow-up, a deliciously complex and sleek staging of American Psycho, was another success in finding the right tone for a show that had flopped in New York. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Who better, then, to take on Almodóvar's camp farce and make it pop? And this production really does pop: Hailley Hunt's set – Pepa's apartment – is a dream to look at, and cleverly evokes all of Madrid through just a few set pieces. It's red curtain-ringed and deliciously decorated, and when Phoebe Pilcher's lighting drenches the space in reds and blues, it's gorgeous. Amy Hack (who most recently starred in Yentl in Melbourne and Sydney) is glorious as Pepa: it's a deeply lived-in, individuated performance that takes inspiration from, but does not copy, the film. This is a character in crisis, but also comic and genuinely complex – the key is in the title, this woman is on the verge of a breakdown – and Hack gives a gorgeously risky and boldly funny performance that will be one of the year's best. Together, Berlage and Hack are doing great, inventive work (there are delightful staging choices, especially small moments of character and tableau detail, that elevate scenes). It's genuinely a pleasure to watch. There are, however, two big problems. The first, which is fixable, is the sound design and engineering: on opening night, it was often difficult to make out the lyrics. Musicals reveal key plot and character information in songs, from facts and exposition all the way to moments of revelation, so if we can't hear it, we're lost. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion The second is that it's just not a very good musical. Yazbek's Spanish-styled score sounds bright but isn't varied enough to have us leaning in and listening closely, especially when it's already hard to hear. The show has a male narrator (Aaron Robuck, playing the taxi driver who Pepa encounters several times in the film) who feels extraneous to the narrative. More broadly, the book is a mess. When taking a farce from film to stage, you need to recalibrate your narrative. In a musical, everything is already heightened, so you need to establish an emotional reality in your farce for it to have a sense of stakes. Lane and Yazbeck's musical saves the bulk of stripped-back emotional realness for the second act, but it's too late by then to introduce them – we've been dialled up to 11 since the first scene. Berlage does his best to mitigate this – and the ending is strikingly, surprisingly, moving – but he can't change the book or the score, which do not rise to the greatness of Berlage, Hack or the original film. So, should you see it? If you love musicals and want to see a performer at the height of her powers, yes. Hack is well worth the trip, and you deserve a treat. Otherwise, give the film a try. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is at Hayes theatre, Darlinghurst, until 8 June.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Pedro Almodovar slams Donald Trump in fiery speech
As the celebrated Spanish filmmaker, famous for movies such as Talk to Her and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! expressed his gratitude for the honour, he fired off, "I doubted if it was appropriate to come to a country ruled by a narcissistic authority, who doesn't respect human rights. Trump and his friends, millionaires and oligarchs, cannot convince us that the reality we are seeing with our own eyes is the opposite of what we are living, however much he may twist the words.' "Mr Trump, I'm talking to you, and I hope that you hear what I'm going to say to you," Almodóvar continued.
Washington Post
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A fresh perspective on the life and films of Pedro Almodóvar
The essential challenge of film books is that their ideal reader has already acquired a certain expertise — and perhaps even a collection of volumes — on the genre or filmmaker in question. Very few people require more than one comprehensive guide to a director's work, which leads to an increasingly narrow focus. James Miller's 'The Passion of Pedro Almodóvar' bucks that trend. By providing a close analysis of seven of Almodóvar's 'more or less autobiographical' movies, Miller promises to 'present an unusual sort of 'self-portrait' of the artist' and to explore the extent to which his mature work 'is engaged in … an implicitly philosophical quest for self-knowledge.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pedro Almodóvar calls Trump ‘greatest mistake of our time' as he receives Chaplin award
Pedro Almodóvar described US president Donald Trump as the 'greatest mistake of our time', while accepting the prestigious Chaplin Award in New York. The celebrated Spanish director spoke on stage at Manhattan's Lincoln Center on Monday, where he was presented with the award. 'I doubted if it was appropriate to come to a country ruled by a narcissistic authoritarian leader who doesn't respect human rights, and whom it seems nothing can stop on his race to change fragile world balance,' The Room Next Door director said. 'Trump and his friends, millionaires and oligarchs, cannot convince us that the reality we are seeing with our own eyes is the opposite of what we are living, however much he may twist the words, claiming that they mean the opposite of what they do.' Almodóvar's speech, delivered on the eve of Trump completing 100 days in office, referenced the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants and transgender rights. 'Immigrants are not criminals, even though the United States treats them as such. [Ukraine's president] Zelensky is not a dictator, Putin is. And however much Trump denies it, it was Russia that invaded Ukraine. Hunter Schafer, the wonderful co-protagonist with Zendaya of Euphoria, is a woman. Even though she was assigned male while renewing her passport.' In February this year, Schafer, 26, shared in a TikTok video that her renewed passport came back with her sex marked as M for male, even though she had filled out the forms marking her gender as female. 'Mr Trump, I'm talking to you,' Almodóvar continued. 'Mr Trump, I hope that you hear what I'm going to say to you. You will go down in history as the greatest mistake of our time. Your naiveté is only comparable to your violence. You will go down in history as one of the greatest damages to humanity since the beginning of the century. You will go down in history as a catastrophe.' Almodóvar went on to express his gratitude for the award, and dedicated it to the 'thousands deported in recent weeks', Schafer, and to Harvard University for its 'determination to not surrender to Trump's war on knowledge and culture'. Harvard University is suing the Trump administration for cutting $2.2bn in federal funding, alleging retaliation over its refusal to punish pro-Palestinian student protests and comply with demands to end DEI programmes and favour conservative applicants. Almodóvar brought up his experiences growing up in Spain under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, crediting the shift to democracy with his growth as a director. 'It is impossible to explain what that feeling of absolute liberty meant for a young person who wanted to make films,' he said. Dua Lipa, John Turturro, John Waters, Rossy de Palma, and Mikhail Baryshnikov also attended the ceremony to present him with the award, while Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, and Antonio Banderas shared pre-recorded tributes. 'He has a unique vision and his own brand of irreverent humor and a vibrant sense of color that lets you know you're in for a wild ride, driven by an expert driver,' Turturro said. 'I especially love how you just completely normalised trans and gay roles or storylines, something that feels these days like quite a radical act. And yet there's a lightness and a heart to everything you do,' said Dua Lipa.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pedro Almodóvar says Trump will ‘go down in history as a catastrophe,' dedicates film award to the ‘thousands deported'
Famed director Pedro Almodóvar says President Trump will 'go down in history as a catastrophe,' dedicating a film award to the 'thousands deported in recent weeks,' as well as Harvard University and to a transgender Hollywood star. 'I wish to express my gratitude for this award; however, I admit there have been moments where I have doubted about coming to accept it, in the same way that I would go to… Russia or North Korea,' Almodóvar said Monday while being honored with the Lincoln Center's Chaplin Award in New York City. 'I doubted if it was appropriate to come to a country ruled by a narcissistic, authoritarian lunatic who doesn't respect human rights and who it seems nothing can stop in his race to change the fragile world balance,' Almodóvar, who was born in Spain, said to applause. 'Trump and his friends — millionaires and oligarchs — cannot convince us that the reality we are seeing with our own eyes is the opposite of what we are living, however much he may twist the words, claiming that they mean the opposite of what they do.' 'Immigrants are not criminals,' he exclaimed. Trump has signed multiple executive orders targeting immigration, and his administration has touted its deportation efforts, many of which are being challenged in court. Pushing back on Trump's sharp criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following Russia's 2022 invasion of the country, Almodóvar said, 'Zelensky is not a dictator. [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is. And however much Trump denies it, it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.' Almodóvar also defended 'Euphoria' star Hunter Schafer. The transgender performer said in February she had been issued a U.S. passport with a male gender marker. 'That cruel whim by trans bureaucrats, that there are only two genders, does not change the nature of the human being and its sexual diversity,' Almodóvar said. 'Mr. Trump: I'm talking to you. And I hope that you hear what I'm going to say to you,' the 75-year-old 'Talk to Her' director said. 'You will go down in history as the greatest mistake of our time. Your naiveté is only comparable to your violence. You will go down in history as one of the greatest dangers to humanity in this beginning of the century. You will go down in history as a catastrophe,' Almodóvar said. Almodóvar said that 'given the circumstances,' he wished to dedicate his award to 'the thousands deported in recent weeks, to the beautiful Hunter Schafer as well, and to Harvard University' for the school's 'determination to not surrender to Trump's war on knowledge and culture which remain the best weapons to fight lies and misinformation.' Earlier this month, Harvard University rejected policy change demands from the White House, to which the administration responded by freezing billions of dollars in federal funding. Harvard has sued the Trump administration as a result. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
