Saturday, July 9, 2011

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Director: John Cassavetes. Cast: Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper. 155 min. Rated R. Drama.
This is a devastating film. An insane mother, and some insane contributing camerawork, give a very convincing portrayal of how one's environment (including the husband, the mother-in-law, even the doctor) can easily push one over the limit and into insanity, with no relief in sight. Dizzying performances by Rowlands and the late Peter Falk, making you think their dialogue must have been improvised to create such an impact, as writing such back-and-forth dialogue would be nearly impossible. Forget the production date; this movie is as good as new.

PS: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was made one year after this. Something must have been in the air those years.

Mo says:

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