Melding the melodrama of Douglas Sirk (see: August 9 screening) with the screwball farce of Bringing Up Baby, Pedro Almodóvar’s eighth film was his international breakthrough, the largest-grossing film in Spain ever at that point, securing him a spot as one of the world’s great filmmakers.

Pepa (Carmen Maura) has a job doing voice-overs for Spanish-language versions of American films—she’s currently working on Johnny Guitar. When she gets news that her lover is leaving her, she decides to end it all with a dosed batch of gazpacho. However, events—like, all kinds of crazy, insane, chaotic events—conspire to push her towards life.

Continuing the auteur’s exploration of the female psyche, Women on the Verge found Almodóvar channeling Hollywood inspiration into his own unique vision, arriving at the irreverent humor and vibrant visual sense that define his work today. As Pepa, Carmen Maura (a frequent Almodóvar collaborator) delivers a performance for the ages. As one character admiringly says (and we echo), “That Pepa… she is really something!”

Colorfully conceived and photographed, with an exceptional ensemble cast that also includes Antonio Banderas and Rossy de Palma, this film shows an artist in total control of his craft.