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Volver

Volver English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Apr 04 2007

Themes: Pop Culture

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Volver is the latest film by the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. Almodovar is known for his strong female characters and his unusual stories that capture universal themes on life, love, loss and triumph.

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz won both the Golden Globe and the Cannes Film Festival awards for Best Actress. But this is not her first success. She has appeared in numerous films, in English, French, Italian and, of course, Spanish.

Listen to Marni and Kevin chat about Volver.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Kevin

Kevin

Marni:  So I saw Volver the other day.

Kevin:  Ooh! What did you think?

Marni:  Oh, I loved it. I was…

Kevin:  It’s wonderful.

Marni:  Yes.

Kevin:  It’s so well done.

Marni:  It is very well done. And I read this article where it was talking about Penelope Cruz and how wonderful it is to see her act in her native language. And I thought about it and it was. It was so different because I feel like in every other American movie, you’re just seeing her speak in English with her cute accent…

Kevin:  Yeah.

Marni:  But this one, she really had a lot of oomph.

Kevin:  It’s… She, she does wonderfully and I’m really glad she’s been nominated for the Academy Award...

Marni:  Mm hm.

Kevin:  Because she deserves it. I mean, she’s a wonderful actress.

Marni:  She is.

Kevin:  But in English, she tends to have very stereotypical roles.

Marni:  Exactly. I agree.

Kevin:  Um, kind of, the sexy immigrant, if you will, right?

Marni:  Yeah. Yeah.

Kevin:  So I think it’s a really interesting movie. And if you’re into, like, how things are shot, like, the camera angles are very, are very interesting and not the typical Hollywood-style so it’s…

Marni:  Yeah. The, uh, up… upward camera looking down on her breasts.

Kevin:  Mm hm. Yeah.

Marni:  Very nice.

Kevin:  While she’s cleaning the, uh,...

Marni:  The knife, very seductively.

Kevin:  Very nice. Yeah.

Marni:  Yeah.

Kevin:  It’s a really a really well-done movie. I hope it… I hope she wins the Oscar.

Marni:  Yeah.

Kevin:  We’ll see.

Marni:  We’ll have to see. She’s got some stiff competition.

Kevin:  Definitely.

 

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Discussion

Kevin and Marni both thought Volver was great.

Marni says it is a different experience to see Penelope Cruz act in her native language.

Kevin agrees. He points out that many of her English roles are pretty stereotypical.

Kevin thinks the cinematography in the film is very interesting as well.

Both Kevin and Marni wonder if Penelope Cruz might win the Oscar. But this conversation happened before the Academy Awards. We now know that she did not win. But she won other awards for her role in this film.

Have you seen Volver or any other Almodovar films?

Click here for an English lesson on another Almodovar film

 

Comments

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lorenzos

Netherlands

I have to agree on the fact that the film was a little boring. Although the story is quite exiting, the filming doesn't do the story any right. Penelope Cruz her acting is great as always and this makes the film more pleasurable to watch, this and the story makes the film. I have to disagree on the fact that Penelope acts better in Spanish, I've seen films where I thought she was way better. I believe that if the film was directed by someone with any education, the story would have come out way better. Now all the better bits, the key moments in the story come by in a split second like it's not that important. 

 

My expectation where not satisfied!  

10:44 AM Mar 17 2011 |

Ahshan

Ahshan

China

i have not seen the flick!

11:55 PM May 07 2010 |

tony4bd

Bangladesh

hi

gffd fgf vlfprlkg, fgkgew fppf, hopr htqtr
man is nu itself
 A BOOKCHUD

08:49 AM Feb 23 2008 |

yassinabushaar

Yemen

thank's a lot.

but some time when I would like to listen to the dialogue, sound does not repond.

06:01 AM May 23 2007 |

irina Ferum

Russian Federation

In english i like frase "Die traing"

08:36 AM May 21 2007 |

yck

yck

Peru

i like this movie..’cause it has a mix of drama and comedy..show a problem of our society…

10:37 PM Apr 09 2007 |

ahosokawa

United States

Could be better

12:30 AM Apr 09 2007 |

ebarals

Antarctica

I would say Kevin and Marni were really really great. Well-done, you guys. Wish you all the best.

09:28 PM Apr 07 2007 |

Josh K

Josh K

Guatemala

ok….........

03:37 PM Apr 07 2007 |

lurveng

South Korea

I can’t recognize Marni’s pronunciation.Especially when she pronounces “Volver”

01:03 AM Apr 05 2007 |

Lidia_partner

Brazil

I must see this one! In due of the

06:57 PM Apr 04 2007 |

clau_sp

clau_sp

Spain

I like a lot this movie. It isn’t only because I am spanish, like her (hehehe). I like it because of the original story, the good work with the camera and the good act of Penelope Cruz. You should watch it!

05:19 PM Apr 04 2007 |

silk searcher

United States

Just as I said you must embrace the experiences that life throws at you.
You go girl!

05:05 PM Apr 04 2007 |

somaliland

somaliland

Somalia

i haven’t watched her films but i led the Marni and Kevin talked about Penelope Cruz’s latest film specialy her energetic ability to act her roles as Kevin and Marni were chatting

02:18 PM Apr 04 2007 |

PhuongHuynh

Viet Nam

There are many films in the world. It’s unnecessary to see all of them.

02:07 PM Apr 04 2007 |

getchar

getchar

Algeria

i used to watch movies in french speaking..that’s how they are showed on the tv..since i began to learn english ..how sweet is ..the fact of watching a movie in it’s origin vesion..

01:56 PM Apr 04 2007 |

icingblue813

China

what is the volver mean?

11:50 AM Apr 04 2007 |

teddy008

teddy008

China

I want to see this movie.

01:57 AM Apr 04 2007 |

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