Review of A Woman Under the Influence (1974) by Ty C — 13 Nov 2008
My first Cassavettes and I see why he is so acclaimed. This film felt so real and honest. He never tried to hide who these people were. You feel as if you've got a sneak peek into this highly dysfunctional family.
Gena Rowlands was impressive beyond belief. Her performance is an unhinged masterwork. I never knew what she was going to say/do. It's that feeling of total dread because you feel as though she is going to break down at any second.
Peter Falk,with his crazy ass eye,felt just as unhinged as her. You realize this slowly but surely that he isn't this posterboy for sanity. This film works so well because Cassavettes never really sets out to give a clear explanation of why she is the way she is.
Is it the repressed emotions of a housewife in an unhappy marriage? The psycho-sexual dynamics that she faces with men? All of the above? It's never clear. We just know she is how she is. We're left to watch as this family tries to piece together some sort of normalcy in their life which you and they find out to be near impossible.
This review of A Woman Under the Influence (1974) was written by Ty C on 13 Nov 2008.
A Woman Under the Influence has generally received very positive reviews.
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