Review of Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) by Tanya K — 17 Mar 2010
In fairy tales, gallant princes on white stallions sweep beautiful princesses off their feet. In Cassavetes' Minnie and Moskowitz the prince is a borderline bum of a guy with a beat up truck who parks cars for a living (valet sounds too upscale), and the princess is an outwardly cynical but inwardly love-lorn romantic who is a museum curator.
'Movies set you up,' cries Minnie, 'there aren't any Clark Gables in the real world.' It may not seem it, but this film is a testament to love prevailing over all; there's no logical hope or reason for Seymour and Minnie to fall in love, but they do.
Why, nobody knows, not even them ('It's not the face I dreamed of, Seymour.'), and such is the glory of love. The editing is exceptionally choppy and feels jarring until you get used to it - just like Minnie and Seymour's blossoming relationship.
Reminiscent of the feisty Hepburn-Tracy screwballs, this film is quirky and cringingly funny, but not in the usual sense of the word (case and point: Minnie's car wreck of a lunch date with Zelmo).
Seymour is abrupt, crude with the most impressive thing about him being his mustache, 'He's no Einstein,' proclaims his own mother. Yet he's a forcefully hopeless romantic, albeit 1970's style, and that's exactly what Minnie needs.
This review of Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) was written by Tanya K on 17 Mar 2010.
Minnie and Moskowitz has generally received positive reviews.
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