Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown Movie

Pepa, horrified but also weirdly impressed by Lucía’s clarity, tries to calm her. But Lucía notices the gazpacho Pepa has made—a massive batch, laced with an entire bottle of sleeping pills. Pepa made it for herself, a liquid farewell to consciousness. But now, Lucía has an idea.

The story introduces us to Pepa Marcos (Carmen Maura), a voice-over actress and the dubbing voice of Irene Dunne. Pepa is the definition of "on the verge." Her lover, Iván, has left her. We never see Iván’s face clearly in the early moments; he is a phantom, a seductive voice that exists only in Pepa’s answering machine tapes and her fragmented memories. women on the verge of a nervous breakdown movie

Pepa is joined by her friend Candela , who is on the run because her boyfriend is a terrorist; Iván’s son, Carlos (Antonio Banderas), and his fiancée, Marisa (Rossy de Palma); and Iván’s mentally unstable ex-wife, Lucía , who arrives seeking revenge. Pepa, horrified but also weirdly impressed by Lucía’s

Enter (40s), the woman from the answering machine. She’s not a new lover—she’s Iván’s legally insane ex-wife, just released from a mental institution after a decade. Lucía is all manic energy, wild eyes, and a trench coat hiding a secret. She shows up at Pepa’s door while Candela is raiding the fridge. But now, Lucía has an idea

Back at the apartment, the women wake up. It’s dawn. The gazpacho has worn off. Candela, groggy but clear-eyed, finally sees the absurdity of her situation. She calls the police, reports the van, and breaks up with the terrorist via a note on a napkin. Marisa steals a cigarette and declares she’s going to become a flamenco dancer. Ángela, for the first time, admits she doesn’t actually love Carlos—she just loves the idea of a wedding.

The apartment becomes a pressure cooker. Candela sobs. The phone rings constantly—wrong numbers, a man asking for “Rati,” and a call from Iván’s answering service. Pepa learns Iván is flying to Stockholm that night. She decides to go to the airport. But first, she needs a car.