A Woman under
the Influence (1974):
Synopsis – A
wife and husband try to keep control of their family life, while the wife
begins to lose control of herself in various destructive ways.
Starring – Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, the children and the other workers,
and they're all great, but the stars are the first two.
Movie #1 in the April Movie Project, I have only seen one other movie directed
by John Cassavetes. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie was a different
animal than most cinema, one where the adjective “raw” actually fits quite
perfectly. The characters in the movie were sleazy, and human, and way too
familiar for comfort. Cassavetes seems to be able to get performances out his
actors that leave every bit of falseness to the side. Watching A Woman Under
the Influence was another raw experience, but domestically based and
therefore much more relatable/disturbing. I am going to stick with my normal
breakdown categories, but to say I liked any part of the movie seems a bit
strong. To be more accurate, I was fascinated by it.
What I Liked:
-There is a reason
I only mentioned 2 actors in a movie filled with great performances. Gena
Rowlands does some absolutely astonishing work in this movie. Her character is
a woman so broken, so downtrodden and depressed it tears at your heart. When a
person acts the way she does in this movie, it cries for the kind of help that
is not in the average person’s hand. You see her acting childish and speaking
to herself and all you can do is look in horror because this isn’t the act of
an attention seeking simpleton. This woman is DAMAGED. And she is getting no
help.
-I love Peter Falk,
and after this film that love was simple doubled. If you are used to seeing the
man only playing Columbo, like I was, this role is a gigantic eye opener. The
depths of love combined depravity he put on display made me hate him so bad. I
could have jumped on to the screen and kill him sometimes! But other times he
would be so gentle and honest, so caring that he became a shade of gray on the
sunny side, another completely mixed up soul in the mixed up universe of this
world. There is no other way to put it, he was brilliant.
-There is nothing
false about the world that Cassavetes sets before you. Although I cannot
imagine watching this movie again right now, I know I am going to want to go
back and take a look at that side of cinema again.
What I Didn’t
Like:
-There is something
sticky about John Cassavetes’ films. This opinion is based solely on the two I
have seen of course, so I am jumping to a conclusion a bit too prematurely.
Never the less, after both times watching one of his movies I felt a little bit
soiled. It was as if I had just peaked through the window into someone’s house
and saw things that were secret, and secret for a good reason. The only reason
that this observation is under “What I Didn’t Like” is because the feeling is
unsettling, but it is also quite marvelous.
What I Hated:
-Nothing.
Verdict:
This is an
extremely intense movie and I will recommend it if you are looking for
something different than what Hollywood does, even the indie side of Hollywood,
and if you can stand seeing a woman hit. It is one of the most “mature” movies
I have ever seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment