Review of Another Woman (1988) by Tanya K — 17 Mar 2010

Allen masterfully demonstrates his deftness at serious themes in this exploration on self-discovery while paying tribute to Ingmar Bergman with stoic cinematography, off-kilter camera choices and a lack of score.

Meanwhile, those used to seeing Gena Rowlands in Cassavete's films will be amazed at her apathetically restrained performance as Marion, whose newly rented office is just like her mind - stark, bland and quite sterile.

Having lived her life according to the expectations of others as daughter, sister, lover, wife and even the head of the Philosophy Department, has made Marion aloof and cold. Even her opening voiceover sounds mechanical.

She is afraid to love, choosing an adulterer over the man who truly loves her, and is in denial of how her past actions have hurt those close to her. The psychiatrist's office next door may represent the outside world and Marion has a choice to listen or not listen in on the private therapy sessions; should she open her mind to emotion or not? There is no going back for Marion as she takes an introspective journey through her life (a theme also explored by Bergman in Wild Strawberries).

The end may seem a bit abrupt but it symbolizes a subtle victory with Marion finally becoming true to herself and breaking down the walls around her to live passionately. All this time she thought she was Another Woman, and now she finds she can be exactly that.