▁Ver ge ▁of ▁a ▁N erv ous ▁Break down ▁( 1 9 8 8 ). ▁This ▁femin ist ▁light ▁comedy ▁of ▁rapid - fire ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁fast - p ac ed ▁action ▁further ▁established ▁Al mod ó var ▁as ▁a ▁" w omen ' s ▁director " ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁ve in ▁as ▁George ▁C uk or ▁and ▁R ainer ▁Werner ▁F ass b inder . ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁women ▁make ▁better ▁characters : ▁" w omen ▁are ▁more ▁spect ac ular ▁as ▁dram atic ▁subjects , ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁greater ▁range ▁of ▁registers , ▁etc ". ▁ ▁Women ▁on ▁the ▁Ver ge ▁of ▁a ▁N erv ous ▁Break down ▁cent res ▁on ▁P ep a ▁( Car men ▁Ma ura ), ▁a ▁woman ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁ab rupt ly ▁abandoned ▁by ▁her ▁married ▁boy friend ▁I ván ▁( Fern ando ▁Gu ill én ). ▁Over ▁two ▁days , ▁P ep a ▁fr ant ically ▁tries ▁to ▁track ▁him ▁down . ▁In ▁the ▁course , ▁she ▁disco vers ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁secre ts ▁and ▁real ises ▁her ▁true ▁feelings . ▁Al mod ó var ▁included ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁usual ▁actors , ▁including ▁Antonio ▁B ander as , ▁Ch us ▁L amp re ave , ▁Ross y ▁de ▁Pal ma , ▁K iti ▁M án ver ▁and ▁Juli eta ▁Ser rano ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁new com er ▁María ▁Bar ran co . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁Spain ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁and ▁became