Like Mike Nichols masterful debut ,"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" this is not an easy film to watch. it is a harrowing classic. it is one that should not be missed. or maybe it should for some. it is like 'Virginia Woolf' with and extra ten minutes making it even more excruciatingly painful. the way it is presented is, like Ebert said, unrealistic. but that does NOT make it a bad film; in fact it's a really good one. there may not be people really like this. everything goes wrong for the most part which is a rare thing to happen in life. again its not a bad film. the strength of the film is obviously the acting; especially that of Gena Rowlands. everyone is on target. the film is more like taking all of the messed up people in the world and inserting them into this town. but it works. "Magnolia" is the same way too. the performance out of Gena Rowlands is like nothing i have ever seen before. its shockingly painful and disturbing. she does not have a mental disorder and she doesnt cut her wrists or abuse anyone. what does that leave: her performance. im not sure where the hell it came from but she knew what she was doing. while watching the film, you get the same feeling during "Persona" or "Mullholand Dr." is this really happening? i actually thought at the end Cassavetes would turn it around and make it all a dream or Rowlands' character was a ghost or illusion. it was a bit eerie. i was too stunned to figure out if there was a mesage behind the story. there was nothing really to learn from. dont marry a crazy-ass woman?- i dont think so. this is one ill have to see again.
| Academy Awards, USA | |||
| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Nominated | Oscar | Best Actress in a Leading Role Gena Rowlands |
| Best Director John Cassavetes | |||
No comments:
Post a Comment