The Human Voice... on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 11:09AM 
You already know that we loooooved The Human Voice by way of its NYFF run last year and the Best of 2020 article. It's now one of the ten finalists for Best Live Action Short (a category we'll review as soon as we're able to track down the only two entries we haven't seen). Now we have word about its release plans. The Human Voice, based on the Jean Cocteau "monodrama" will be in theaters starting March 12th in the US, three days before Oscar nominations are due. Will it be nominated? Who knows! Some Academy members might resent a world class auteur infiltrating a category that generally rewards newbies but others, judging on the work alone, might easily go for it. Thirty minute films are generally a hard sell for standard movie ticket prices. So it will be paired with Pedro Almodóvar's international breakthrough feature, the Oscar nominated Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) in theaters. If you've never seen the latter indisputable classic, here's a perfect excuse to rectify that gaping hole in your 80s cinematic knowledge, and get a great new 30 minute Tilda Swinton performance in the process.
That is IF movie theaters are open where you are by March 12th and you feel comfortable going.
Reader Comments (21)
Will it be available to rent online if one is not ready to go back to the theater? Or if one’s local theaters are still closed?
I remember LOVING Women on the Verge when it came out and had it as one of my top movies of the entire decade. Recently I tried to rewatch it and didn't laugh once. Was it me, or the movie? Not sure.
@Dave: Definitely you! Women on the Verge is one of the funniest films ever made, with not one, but two comedy set-pieces in its third act.
Also one of the greatest endings of all time.
This was also one of the very first movies I ever saw as a kid in Cuba, so, I am 1000% biased.
Jean Cocteau's La voix humaine, I believe.
working -- lol. i forgot to finish that sentence. thanks
Gawd, I love Tilda Swinton. This better be available VOD!
Women on the Verge is marvelous. Need to do a rewatch, for like the 15th time. Still holds up for me.
I should be buying a ticket for this since I haven't seen Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I've heard great things about Carmen Maura's performance
Every year I feel closer to the crazy old lady so, yes, I know what you mean Dave.
The Academy owes Almodóvar a second Oscar.
If he gets nominated, he'll win.
I always feel sad when big time filmmakers don't submit their short films for categories like this? I think Scorsese, when he directs a doc, doesn't submit them. Why not? Saying "well, these guys are big directors. They should stay out of these "little" categories, would be like trying to police the supporting actor awards: Well, Glenn Close is a big star, so we should vote against her when she goes for supporting actress, even when it really is a supporting role. THE HUMAN VOICE really is a short film. It lifts the category up if big names get involved. Maybe it would lead to more big directors doing shorts, which would be a lot of fun. We got that all the time out of Europe in the past. One of Jean Renior's best films is a short.
@Dl-I think you mean a third Oscar. He won his 2nd one for Best Original Screenplay for Talk to Her</I> which is a great movie.
Dan -- i agree. I think it would be great if more directors playd with the form. Not every movie from an auteur needs to be a 145 minute epic.
I agree with Dave. Women on The Verge is not funny at all for my tastes. It is not an indisputable classic. I dispute that!
To be honest, Almodóvar is not that great outside or noir and serious melodrama. He only starts to deliver masterpieces from Live Flesh on, give or take Law of Desire
I feel like a short films by famous directors shouldn't really be eligible for Best Short Film. I know it would be a bit of a nightmare to create enforceable rules around that, but it kind of goes against the spirit of that particular award.
Dan Humphrey: I think Scorsese's Rolling Thunder doc was submited last year.
thevoid99: Strictly speaking, Almodóvar does only have one Oscar: his screenplay Oscar for Talk to Her. All About My Mother's Foreign Language Film Oscar is officially credited to Spain.
My Almodovar top 10
1. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
2. Talk to Her
3. What Have I done to Deserve This?
4. Pain & Glory
5. The Skin I Live In
6. Law of Desire
7. All About my Mother
8. Bad Education
9. Dark Habits
10. Volver
haven't seen The Human Voice yet... honestly I was not happy with having to pay a full lenght feature ticket to just see a short... and nothing else.
Women on The Verge fanatics are usually the most basic bitches of Almodovar fans.
Technically it may be his only Oscar, but Original Screenplay for Talk to Her is pretty badass.
Manny -- yes, yes it is!
Jesus -- we have a lot of the same favs, albeit in very different order.
Still thinking about Almodovar a day later. My 10 favourites
1. LAW OF DESIRE (87)
2. VOLVER (06)
3. TALK TO HER (02)
4. WOMEN ON THE VERGE... (89)
5. ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (99)
6. PAIN & GLORY (19)
7. BAD EDUCATION (04)
8. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? (84)
9. TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! (90)
10. THE SKIN I LIVE IN (11)
1 - Talk To Her
2 - Live Flesh
3 - All About My Mother
4 - The Skin I Live in
5 - Bad Education
6 - Julieta
7 - Volver
8 - Pain & Glory
9 - Law of Desire
10 - The Flower of My Secret
Top 8:
La ley del deseo
Volver
Todo sobre mi madre
Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios
La piel que habito
Los abrazos rotos
Dolor y gloria
Kika
(If it's not here, I probably haven't seen it yet for some odd reason...)