Crosstown Theater, Crosstown Arts

The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN at Crosstown Theater.

Pedro Almodovar / 1988 / 88 minutes / Rated R
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater

Creating “one of the jauntiest of all war-of-the sexes comedies” (Pauline Kael), Pedro Almodovar, Spain’s premiere writer-director, creates an off-kilter universe of madness, mayhem, and pure fun. Nominated for the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and co-starring Antonio Banderas, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is “a wild, wanton, wickedly witty farce!” (People) High atop one of Spain’s poshest penthouses, three women have come to the end of their mental ropes. Super-sexy Pepa (Carmen Maura) is forever teetering around atop her skyscraper spikes as she obsesses over Ivan (Fernando Guillen), the lover who just jilted her over the answering machine! Her neutoric best friend Candela (Maria Barranco) is seeking refuge at Pepa’s place because she recently realized her lover is a Shiite terrorist. And Ivan’s ex-wife Lucia (Julieta Serrano) was just released from a 20-year stint in a mental institution. They’re all mighty mad — in fact, they’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown and one of them is about to commit a murder unless the other half-crazed femmes fatales can stop her!

The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.