"While Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown utilizes the tropes of Hollywood screwball comedy to entertain, it ultimately functions as a subversive critique of patriarchal instability. Through the character of Pepa Marcos, Almodóvar reclaims the 'hysterical woman' trope, transforming emotional volatility into a source of strength and narrative control."
Almodóvar is obsessed with the artificiality of cinema. The film constantly blurs the line between reality and performance. women on the verge of a nervous breakdown