Review of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) by Mike G — 25 May 2011

One of the best screen-adapted plays yet filmed. Ironically, another great screen-adapted play, A Man for all Seasons, came out the same year and was nearly the only film standing in the way of Who's Afraid sweeping the Oscars.

Anyways, Albee's controversial play is given every deference and is expertly played by the memorable cast. Liz Taylor's Martha is now iconic and stands in severe contrast with most of the other roles she was known for, which in itself is a testimony to just how great and committed to acting she was.

Martha is a viscious lush with a loud and nasty mouth fit to be muzzled if ever George had his way. Taylor won the Oscar, but Richard Burton's nuanced and sinisterly funny performance is a marvel.

George is a stifled associate professor with adequacy problems, but it doesn't stop him from eventually winning his "total war" with Martha over the course of a drunken late night with two guests (more like hostages).

Nick and Honey get dragged along for all the "fun and games" and even become victims themselves of Martha and George's seriously dysfunctional marraige.